Archive
With yields low and fees high, "safe" funds used in deferred compensation plans may eat away at principal.
Plus: Health Care Misconceptions, Performance Management Uncertainties, And More
Massachusetts extends its decency law’s reach to all things digital—perhaps for good reason, but some contend that it’s a violation of free speech.
You can’t create an ethical organization overnight, but you can start overnight, and once you start, you’ll find lots of opportunities to teach the code.
Some say the federal government should send another round of aid to states.
States should maintain ample rainy-day funds or risk losing federal money.
In Berkshire, Mass., juvenile delinquents study Shakespearean texts and stage plays instead of traditional sentences.
More and more states are turning to a perennial favorite, the excise tax, to weather the recession.
The Brookings Institution's "State of Metropolitan America" offers a look at the demographic future of America's 100 largest metro areas. In this installment: The growth patterns of the last decade don't bode well for those with green hopes.
Five steps to winning over your toughest critic.
Just as there is now a new cap being fitted over the leaking oil well, patching a mechanical failure, Sunlight Foundation is left wondering whether the now-defunct Minerals Management Service will be fixed as well.
Federal credit guarantees for taxable state bonds would lift the economy.
Some MLB players and fans opposed to Arizona’s immigration law are protesting against having the 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Come next year, how much will all of this matter?
Social innovation as a concept is rooted in a relentless focus on results -- on getting help to those in need in the most effective manner possible.
Tax solutions for Social Security and Medicare could also heal the states.
Two new how-to guides for public innovators could prove very useful for public officials who need to find better, faster, cheaper ways of getting the job done.
When it comes to raising money and spending it, states and localities face formidable political obstacles.
The fiscal crisis demands change. It’s time for a Post-Progressive Era, one predicated on creating public value as efficiently as possible.
Software and a swipe card break down information silos
Some states are fighting a move in Congress to centralize federal power over health insurance premium rate reviews.
The Sunlight Foundation recently sent a letter seeking cosponsors for H.R. 5258 and S. 3335, which would require the creation of a centralized database of earmarks and earmark requests.
USA.gov just launched the new design of their website. Since we took a stab at redesigning it ourselves back in January 2009, Sunlight Foundation thought it would see if they took any of its advice.
Down hundreds of staff members post-Katrina, the Louisiana Office of Community Services could have tapped a little known agreement outside emergency management circles for help.
Games and simulations can be important tools as governments around the globe grapple with the grim reality of their fiscal situation.
The Brookings Institution's "State of Metropolitan America" offers a look at the demographic future of America's 100 largest metro areas. In this post to kick off a series: the "cultural generation gap."
If LeBron James decides to suit up for another NBA team, will Cleveland's businesses and economy still "rock"?
Chapter 9 doesn't work the same as Chapters "7-Eleven" and won't solve the pension-benefit crisis.
Under new SEC rules, placement agents won't be outlawed, but they will be regulated.
Four tips to redesigning services in a good and bad economy.
This fiscal crisis demands transformational changes. Here's how to do it.
Plus: Relaxing Oversight on State Contracts, Making Referendum Signatures Public, And More
Policymakers in Washington are debating whether states need more stimulus money, or whether it's time for them to start cutting.
In this audio interview, the "candy man" featured this month's Dispatch column talks to GOVERNING about how taxes against candy are unfair.
Just when it looks like homeowners are finally getting a break, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are threatening to halt progress on local governments’ efforts to encourage energy-efficiency upgrades.
It's the Fourth of July. Let's blow something up.
The ultimate blunt weapon in the battle of the budget: across the board 5 percent cuts. But do they spur government to greater efficiency or inefficiency?
NACo's Larry Naake is pushing for a commission of representatives from all forms of government.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is proposing plans that focus less on roads and more on public transit.
To cope with budget shortfalls, some states – like Michigan – are choosing to shut down their state fairs.
Some see California's future in Greece's current woes.
Short-term gimmicks to boost local sales tax revenue aren't working anymore.
More than half a century after the streetcar's heyday, this transportation mode is poised to make a comeback.
In the recession's wake, states and localities face new realities.
Funding for state programs that research and analyze long-term issues is dwindling.
Arizona pits the public sector against the private sector in a cloud e-mail face-off.
Israel "Izzy" Colon is spearheading Philadelphia's efforts to become an immigrant hub.
In-house clinics help government reduce the cost of health benefit claims.
A new Maryland law prohibits schools from sending test scores to military recruiters. It might protect student privacy, but prevent career discovery.
More Republican gubernatorial candidates are skeptical of the science of climate change.
States, cities and many nations around the globe are facing an existential threat in the form of a massive fiscal imbalance.
Is the LAPD misplacing something important in the process of building the next generation of police stations?
The huge challenges of implementing a $30 billion program are just beginning to hit the states.
Will the needed investment in new infrastructure for electric cars pay off?
Innovation appears to flourish in agencies under extreme pressure.
Economic success depends on a well-educated workforce. So it makes sense to think of improving education as a tool for boosting a region’s economy.
A striking infographic shows how New Orleans has fared since Katrina.
Health care action, Supreme Court rulings and justice nominations makes this week one with huge impacts for state and local government.
The ability of GIS to empower citizens to actively participate in the delivery of public services is growing.
A helpful, complete rundown by USA Today explains rotaries, roundabouts, traffic circles, and everything full circle.
Four workers unions wake up and smell the coffee.
Russ Linden on bringing about major change in a short amount of time.
Plus: Progress on Hospital Infections, Another Bunch of Bad Co-Workers, And More
Changing the culture of an organization doesn't have to take a decade.
In a small town in Michigan, the pig on top of the Oink Joint -- made famous in the movie "Whip It" -- gets new life as a charity fund-raiser.
As the damaged BP oil well continues to spew millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, these four lessons will challenge officials to rethink how risk is mitigated and regulated.
Technology didn't create the flawed processes and overly complicated systems that make government inefficient. So why do so many people think tech upgrades will fix those problems?
In a bad economy, is a tax commission likely to have more of an impact?
In a general streamlining trend, several states are moving to get government out of the workers' compensation insurance business.
Some governments are building stadiums they don’t need with money they don’t have.
The Buffaloes and Cornhuskers flew the Big 12 coop. Texas legislators got involved in keeping that coop together. Here's why.
The earliest days of Sandy Springs, Ga., provide a fascinating (and rare) instance of a community having the freedom to create a government on a blank canvas...
Some states are waiting with bated breath to see if Congress denies a federal boost in Medicaid spending. But few places are resting easy, since they never assumed they'd get the money in the first place.
With political transitions looming, a unique opportunity to innovate presents itself.
Looming political transitions and tough economic times create an unusual window of opportunity for IT-enabled innovations.
States and localities have a stake in the new bipartisan commission on fiscal responsibility.
Several large employers might get a second chance at benefit obligation bonds.
A professional, independent municipal CFO can be a strong protector of taxpayer interest. At the same time, they can also be a source of sand in the gears of government.
The Arkansas Senate primary between Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter is acting as a testing ground for express advocacy advertisements allowed under the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling.
So what does constructive “demand” for transformed government look like? A couple of examples come to mind.
Babak Armajani of the Public Strategies Group looks at the experience of the Iowa Charter agencies, an experiment in bureaucracy managed by results rather than red tape.
A multi-pronged approach can slash retiree medical costs.
Absent reforms for incumbents, a five-year salary freeze may be the best solution for skyrocketing pension costs.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United v. FEC case has rendered 24 state election laws unconstitutional. The Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group has decided to report what each state is doing to respond to the highly-contested ruling. We’re going state by state, and now onto South Dakota.
For governments facing fiscal gaps, these stages outline one's journey to action.
For governments facing fiscal gaps, these five stages outline an official's journey to acceptance and finally, action.
Photographer David Kidd went with reporters to L.A. and Chicago for stories on police stations and transportation systems respectively, but ended up on the beach in both cities.
Plus: Fees for Special Treatment, Sin-Tax Errors, And More
The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Studies Program's maps offer a wonderful look into the changing demographics of the United States.
The Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group has decided to report what states are doing to respond to the highly-contested Citizens United v FEC ruling. We’ll go state by state, starting with Arizona.
Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson has created COOL, an innovative retail-focused economic development program.
HHS is putting an amazing amount of health data out on the Web for free, including Community Clash, Google Hospital Finder, and Bing Health Maps.
Working in a high-risk environment, like a space shuttle or an oil rig, it is easy to grow complacent. What can managers do to avoid the complacency trap?
The District of Columbia has emerged as a transparency leader.
A delightful animation of Dan Pink's ideas on how to motivate employees.
If the education news you read over the last 24 hours sounds familiar, it's because of a January and June deadline for Race to the Top.
Working in a high-risk environment, like a space shuttle or an oil rig, it is easy to grow complacent. What can managers do to avoid the complacency trap?
Rather than throwing money at companies, encourage more business-friendly operations at City Hall, especially towards industries in which you have a natural advantage.
The sobering fiscal reality of our current circumstances are creating an environment more open to a fundamental rethinking of government’s roles and responsibilities.
Livonia, Mich., had the highest census participation rate not because of what it did – but because of what it is.
Five years ago, New York state was burned by revelations of pervasive Medicaid fraud. Now the state is showing other states how scams can be stopped.
States spend billions on incentives to lure film productions away from Hollywood. Some say it's gone too far.
The new Build America Bonds are having an outsized impact on the way states and localities raise money to build and fix infrastructure.
With a Democrat in the White House, conservative state attorneys general are mobilizing against federal power.
Improving efficiencies can help, but cutbacks at state medical schools don't.
What is the responsibility of states to innocent people wrongly convicted of a crime?
Will Republicans win big in states that make voting a straight ticket easy?
Public officials who run pension plans should update their rule books.
Texas focuses on cross-agency operations and innovation opportunities – and saves money.
Working from home has been touted as the future, so why isn't it catching on faster?
Does the return of a neighborhood mean its culture and the poor have to leave?
Don't wait to find out if Google will install broadband in your city.
Health-care politics continues to grab headlines, but what's important lies elsewhere.
A new model of how transparency works changes the view of open government.
How to discern clues that a public-sector program is out of money and underperforming.
How to discern clues that a public-sector program is out of money and underperforming.
While researching the the streetcar's current popularity, the term "streetcar suburb" didn't mean much to this editor until he realized he lived in one.
How do you fix a dysfunctional school? It starts from the top, with strategies for training and mentoring great leaders, preparing them for...
Governments hold enormous amounts of personal, sensitive information from health records to rap sheets, from income taxes paid to welfare benefits received.
Cigarette and alcohol taxes should be higher. Soda taxes are a good idea too.
Getting the rank and file to think differently and embrace change can be a daunting task.
Concerns over the mounting national debt could hamper efforts in Congress to provide aid to cash-strapped states.
Implementing a long-term strategy to address a major problem like crime or illiteracy is a difficult and risky proposition for a mayor.
When it comes to governance, there's something amiss in California and other states as well.
GASB's potential accounting rules may clobber employers' budgets
Plus: Imperiled Public Health Agencies, the Importance of Statistics, And More
A container approach can help deliver sustainable solutions to problems requiring fast, decisive action.
A container approach can help deliver sustainable solutions to problems requiring fast, decisive action.
Does the length of an ethics code affect how much it can help public employees? An assistant city manager in California responds.
While touring two vastly different areas of the Bay area last month, GOVERNING's photographer found that both communities have problems and depend on citizens and activists to resolve them.
The OPM initiative is a big invitation to get to work -- in your bathrobe, if you want to.
In these budget busting times, state-owned buildings are increasingly up for sale. But states may have better options.
A bipartisan group of Senators is moving to limit states' abilities to regulate financial transactions. The White House is pushing back, states are the best regulators for local markets.
While the need for improved budgeting is clear, how these various approaches work is anything but clear.
Public officials need to strike the right balance between dealing with the daily emergencies and leading structural improvements in how government delivers essential services.
Massachusetts is about to join a growing virtual-school movement that may soon transform public education.
With all the focus on encouraging new business, what about keeping the ones you have?
When a public-purpose project fails, should taxpayers pick up the bill?
"Tough love" assistance from the feds might match the nation's mood.
