Why We Need to Grade Our Governments (Again)
An exceptional project from the past illustrates how beneficial measuring public-sector performance can be.
Authors
Paul L. Posner |
Paul L. Posner, who died July 5, 2017, was director of the public-administration program at George Mason University. He also was a former president of the American Society for Public Administration.
Posner served for many years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, where he was managing director for federal budget and intergovernmental relations, leading GAO's work on the long-term federal budget outlook and emerging challenges for public-sector finances at all levels of government.
Posner was the author of "The Politics of Unfunded Mandates,", published in 1998, and was the winner of the 2008 Martha Derthick Best Book Award given by the Section on Federalism and Intergovernmental Management of the American Political Science Association. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.
Government’s Management Failures to Come
They're inevitable for a host of reasons, and the blame will fall on top elected officials. Can they fix problems before they become full-blown crises?
European-Style Federalism’s Lessons for America
An emerging system of "variable speed federalism" is allowing federal policy to adapt to the states' political and policy diversity. But at what cost?
The Debate We’re Not Having over Fiscal Disparities
Our state and local governments vary greatly in their capacity to address urgent public needs. Shouldn't we be talking about this issue?
The Future of Federalism in a Polarized Country
The states' widening ideological gulfs have begun to spill over into the implementation of federal programs. Are we headed for an age of 'variable-speed' federalism?
The Bleak Outlook for Our Intergovernmental Fiscal Future
We need a forum for our state, local and federal governments to collaborate on the fiscal challenges they all face. But in today's fiscal climate, it's hard to see that happening.
The Flexibility We Need to Budget for the Unknowable
Analysis of long-term government commitments such as pensions is important, but overly rigid funding rules are a formula for intergenerational conflict.
Can Performance Help in Reducing Deficits?
Making spending decisions based on evidence and analysis can be hardest to do in times of austerity, but that's precisely when these tools are most useful.
The Political Reality of the Stimulus
Given the decentralization of our modern governmental system, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the nation isn't showering President Obama with the gratitude it felt for FDR.
The Folly of Praying for a Crisis
The fiscal and environmental disasters that we know are going to happen need to be dealt with now.
The Daunting Challenge of Following the Federal Money
As funding from Washington makes its way to the service-delivery level, it follows a complex path. We need a better understanding of where it goes and how it's used.
The Supreme Court and the Remaking of Federalism
In its health-care ruling, the court limited Washington’s coercive powers over the states in ways that could have profound consequences — and perhaps unintended ones.
When Is a Federal Mandate Coercion?
The Supreme Court’s consideration of the health law highlights the need for a new look at the boundaries of our federal system.
The Political Ironies of the Health-Reform Case
A Supreme Court ruling that strikes down the health-reform mandates would have a profound impact on our federal system — one that ultimately might backfire on the law’s opponents.
What the Federal Budget Doesn’t Tell Us
As usual, the White House’s spending plan is getting all the attention. What we should be looking at is how we spend across the public sector.
Should Washington Budget Like the States?
Balanced-budget mandates and biennial budgeting are popular ideas for fixing the federal budgeting process. But what works in state capitols isn’t the right approach for Capitol Hill.
The Continuing Conflict over Standards
Business has had a lot of success setting voluntary standards that prevent regulation from Washington. States are having a harder time finding the cohesion to do the same.
Volunteering for Fiscal Sacrifice
Federal deficit reduction in the trillions is on the way. Rather than being served up for dinner, it would be far better if state and local governments were helping the feds prepare the meal.
Can't We All Get Along? Collaboration in Crisis
When all governments in our federal system suffer from common maladies, joint solutions are preferable.
State Resistance
What are the forces behind the contentious current fight to redefine federalism?
Negotiating Federal Aid Post-Recovery Act
It is not a question of whether the federal government will become more demanding and less generous, but when and how.
Government Remains Unpopular
Even as the American public demands more, it remains ambivalent about government. The only 'solution' is enlightened leadership.
The Best of Times, the Worst of Times
The public turns to government to solve all manner of private troubles, yet is perennially disenchanted with government.
The Missing Commissioners
State and local government officials should also sit on the president's new deficit reduction commission.
Wanted: A State and Local Voice
One could argue that state and local governments are the proverbial canary in the coal mine, the first to deal with a flood of fiscal sacrifices that eventually wash across the beltway.
The 5 Stages Before Deficit Reduction
For governments facing fiscal gaps, these stages outline one's journey to action.