February 18, 2020
Climate Change as Catalyst for New Discipline of Spatial Finance
Plus, 50-State Fiscal Forecast Looking Up, New Bonding for CA Public Schools, and Privatization of NYC Public Housing.
January 21, 2020
Tax Pre-Season Is Underway with (Un)usual Jockeying, a New Simpler W-4 and a Better Deal for Low-Income Tax Filers
This week, Governing’s Future of Finance examines the moves made in advance of tax season, California’s crackdown on traffic fine scofflaws, the world’s largest money manager is making the climate crisis its primary investment criterion, and MIT’s “significant” Jeffrey Epstein mistakes.
January 8, 2019
The Tech Companies Helping Government Meet Its Mission
The fourth annual GovTech 100 list will be released this week.
November 1, 2018
Can Free Money Make Up for Widescale Job Loss?
Faced with the prospect of up to a third of jobs being eliminated by automation in the next decade, governments are taking another look at Universal Basic Income.
October 18, 2018
Homeless Donations Are Missing Something: Tampons
A nonprofit helped Athens, Ga., address this often-ignored need and wants to expand its services.
July 26, 2018
An Experiment in Civic Engagement
MIT researchers are trying something new to see if they can explain -- if not repair -- the relationship between the public and the government.
May 31, 2018
Governments Don't Always Pay Hackers, But What If They Did?
Going against the FBI's ransomware advice is one way state chief information officers are thinking for themselves.
May 17, 2018
Data Is Improving Government Services, But at What Cost to Citizens' Privacy?
Data now informs almost everything the public sector does, and it also informs on us.
April 18, 2018
Managing Citizen Engagement Overload
When government gets too much of a good thing, can open-source technology help?
March 14, 2018
SXSW Takeaways: 'The Immediate Future Is All About Cities'
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and several other city leaders discuss their experience at this year's South by Southwest conference.
March 9, 2018
SXSW 2018: What Mayors Want
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson of Gary, Ind., and Mayor Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento spoke on a special SXSW preview episode of Governing's newest podcast, Go Public.
February 22, 2018
2 Strategies, 1 Goal: Helping Cities Solve Problems
NYCx and Urban-X have similar names but different models for coming up with better ways to deliver government services.
November 28, 2017
Podcast: As Cities Look At Options For Financing Infrastructure, They Keep An Eye Out For Low-Income Residents
Four cities -- Pittsburgh, St. Paul, the District of Columbia and San Francisco -- field-tested collaborative approaches to paying for things that cities need.
August 24, 2017
The Districts Podcast: Getting to Know Capital Metro in Austin, Texas
Taking a brief look back at our recent on-the-ground events and getting to know Texas' Capital Metropolitan Authority.
July 19, 2017
The Districts Podcast: Detroit and Houston or Bust
Going deep on The Districts' program and purpose.
October 28, 2016
Podcast: A People-Centric Approach to Producing Impact for Low-Income Residents
A pop-up podcast recorded with a live audience that captures key learnings from the cities that learned them - detailed here with a full transcript.
October 28, 2016
Podcast: Inspiring, Enabling, and Teaching Teams to Become Public Entrepreneurs
A pop-up podcast recorded with a live audience that captures key learnings from the cities that learned them - detailed here with a full transcript.
October 28, 2016
Podcast: Building a New Urban Practice, City by City
A pop-up podcast recorded with a live audience that captures key learnings from the cities that learned them - detailed here with a full transcript.
October 22, 2015
Will Urban Innovation Teams Outlast Political Change?
They have become a staple in several cities. Whether they stay around is up to new mayors in charge.
June 30, 2014
How the City Accelerator Works
3-year, $3 million collaboration to kickstart urban innovation crowdsources reviews of city pitches in selecting which ones will enter the City Accelerator
March 1, 2014
Anonymous Blogging: Helpful or Hurtful?
Some media websites allow people to blog without disclosing their identities, but some worry that can confuse readers and spread misinformation.
February 27, 2014
Texas Senator's Twitter Typo Causes Accidental Gay Marriage Endorsement
Politicians took to Twitter to respond to the court's decision to strike down Texas' ban on same-sex marriage.
February 19, 2014
Everything is Awesome: The LEGO Movie as Metaphor for FutureStructure
Animated feature about building blocks and the people who love them illustrates the softer side of FutureStructure
February 19, 2014
Campaign Video: Republican Candidate to California - Stop Gov. Brown's High Speed 'Crazy Train'
A former US Treasury Official pivots toward run for Governor's office takes aim at $68 billion rail initiative
February 1, 2014
When Social Media Hits Home
How one agency handled a tragedy as it unfolded live on Twitter.
January 10, 2014
Video: Christie's 2-Hour Lesson in Damage Control
The governor put in one of the best performances of his career.
January 1, 2014
Why Do Politicians Prefer Old Media?
Even though Americans are increasingly looking to online media for their news, public officials still give preference to TV and print newspapers when responding to requests for information.
November 11, 2013
VIDEO: Washington State's Tax Breaks for Boeing
The legislature's unusually short three-day special session delivered on half of what the company wanted; the rest is in the hands of unionized machinists.
October 1, 2013
Can Online News Outlets Help Fill Statehouse Reporting's Void?
Some worry that the drop in the number of reporters covering state capitals and the slow death of print media are making public officials and institutions less accountable.
September 1, 2013
The Blurred Lines Between Social Media & Censorship
Indiana’s governor and D.C.’s transit agency got caught up in controversies after removing comments off their social media accounts. The takeaway? Public officials need to learn to keep their fingers off the delete button.
August 1, 2013
Public Officials Beware: Media Will Uncover Your Lies
A little lie the Seattle mayor told his constituents about a gun buyback program may now cost him his re-election. It’s a lesson for all public officials about dealing with reporters.
June 28, 2013
Are State Shield Laws a Double-Edged Sword?
Shield laws provide predictability, say media advocates. But some worry that championing such laws puts journalists in the same arena with those they cover.
April 30, 2013
Supreme Court Looks at State Public Records Rules
A case before the nation’s highest court could change the way citizens, journalists and entrepreneurs access government-held information.
March 29, 2013
Manufacturing in 3-D
Three-dimensional printing could be the next big economic engine.
February 28, 2013
The Tricky Business of Commercial Advertising in Public Places
Public transit systems have accepted advertising for a long time. But it’s not always without controversy.
January 31, 2013
What Privacy Means to Americans vs. Europeans
Experts are worried that disparate privacy rules between the two could pose a threat to future growth.
December 28, 2012
Is Universal Phone Service a Sleeper Issue to Watch in 2013?
There are conflicting pressures on the universal service fee to maintain “plain old telephone service” on one hand and help pay for a broadband future on the other.
November 30, 2012
Santa Claus and a Civics Lesson
A 115-year-old editorial on the existence of Santa Claus sheds light on the future of civics in America.
October 31, 2012
Georgia Attracts Unlikely Students to Government Jobs
An internship program in Georgia is hoping to open young minds to a career in public service.
September 28, 2012
Electric Vehicles’ Role in Meeting New Efficiency Rules
One man’s test of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure along the West Coast highlights the hurdles ahead for states and localities in meeting the Obama administration’s new fuel efficiency rules.
August 31, 2012
Rethinking the Parking Lot
Everything we know about the automobile is under scrutiny, and so is everything we know about the parking lot. Should they be made of concrete or grass? Is their greatest purpose to generate revenue, store cars or act as a public space for people?
July 31, 2012
Social Media and Public Finance: The Odd Couple
Public finance departments are significantly less likely than government in general to use social media or see its value in engaging with constituents. It might be time for this to change.
June 29, 2012
North Carolina Politics Get in the Way of Governing
Gov. Bev Perdue and at least 30 state lawmakers have decided not to run for reelection this fall, many of them citing the loss of civility and willingness to compromise when it comes to doing the public’s business.
May 31, 2012
One Legislative Organization Eschews Politics
The State Legislative Leaders Foundation strives to provide “serious learning experiences” for its core constituency of about 500 legislative officials -- regardless of what party they belong to.
April 30, 2012
Mayor Brenda Lawrence Walks a Mile in Their Shoes
In Southfield, Mich., the mayor takes early morning walks with her constituents – a move that’s changed the physical and civic health of her city.
March 30, 2012
Recession Recovery: Local Governments Must Guide the Way
People are finally starting to bounce back from the recession, and they’re looking to local governments -- not the feds or the states -- to guide them into a better future.
February 29, 2012
Occupy Wall Street: What Does Its Future Hold?
The movement’s founder says short, surprise occupations and targeted messaging could force officials to address income inequality.
January 31, 2012
Government Cloud Computing May Sustain Public Records
The fate of Data.gov, which housed hundreds of thousands of public data when its funding got cut, may contain the outlines of a model for sustaining digital records.
January 1, 2012
Not Yet a State, Puerto Rico Practices Good Governance
Puerto Rico, which will vote on whether to become a state this summer, has reduced its spending by 20 percent in just two years with the help of public-private partnerships.
November 30, 2011
A Call to Solve the National Obesity Problem
Less than twenty years ago, no states had an obesity rate higher than 20 percent. Today, no state has a rate lower than that.
October 31, 2011
Full-Service Government Comes to an End
Whether we like it or not, it’s time to expect less -- lots less -- from government.
September 30, 2011
Taking the Speed Out of High Speed Rail
Some studies say that sticking with faster (rather than the fastest) rail would allow the Northwest to transport more riders for half the cost.
August 31, 2011
The Nasty, Ineffective World of Politics
Politically-involved high school students could teach legislators a thing or two about compromise.
August 31, 2011
GOVERNING Data: Stories Hiding in Plain Sight
GOVERNING is expanding our use of data and our efforts to put job-critical information in the hands of government leaders and practitioners
July 29, 2011
Even the Sun Needs an Advocate
The success of New York City’s solar efforts wouldn’t have been possible without its on-the-ground ombudsmen.
June 30, 2011
A Fundamentally Different-Looking Government
In Oregon, hard legislative choices reflect national structural changes under way.
May 31, 2011
A Real Tea Party Moment?
State and local governments want to dump a costly tax provision that would bring more costs at a most inopportune time.
April 29, 2011
Reinventing the Food Stamp Program
Free-market economists argue that replacing welfare programs with direct cash grants to the poor would require a smaller bureaucracy and be more beneficial to those in need.
March 31, 2011
Can Texas Find a Future for a Third of its Workforce?
Almost a third of the state's workforce is neither a knowledge worker or a service worker. How will the state train and create jobs for this sect of the workforce?
February 28, 2011
Why Hasn't Voting by Mail Spread?
Voting by mail is popular in the states that allow it. But some states are hesitant to make such a switch.
February 1, 2011
Keeping Track of What's Important
A list of priorities and issues helps public officials remember what really matters in tough fiscal times.
January 1, 2011
New York City's Ailment-Curing Prescription
America’s largest city shares lessons in urban renewal.
December 1, 2010
Maintaining Productivity During the Holidays
State and local officials are thinking pragmatically this holiday season.
November 4, 2010
Washington State Voters: No to Candy and Income Tax
The defeat of taxes on candy and income, plus approval of a supermajority needed for future take hikes, removes a "path forward" for policymakers.
November 1, 2010
Politics: Problem or Solution?
Despite polarization, politics is still the way to get things done.
October 1, 2010
The Resiliance of Procurement Reform in Georgia
A political transition down South will test the resilience of procurement reform.
Florida Unemployment Strategy Focuses on Getting Back to Work
The Sunshine State's new workforce strategy breaks with the past.
The Future of the Western States
Is the West's future half empty or half full?
July 6, 2010
Confectionary Man Takes on Candy Tax
In this audio interview, the "candy man" featured this month's Dispatch column talks to GOVERNING about how taxes against candy are unfair.
Candy Taxes: Not So Sweet
A policy to change behavior leaves a loser in its wake.
June 1, 2010
Revolving Around the Sun
A new model of how transparency works changes the view of open government.
May 1, 2010
Pothole Principles
Preventing small problems from growing bigger takes on significance in today's economy.
Ground-Level Engagement
Tax season is a good time to examine how citizens interact with government.
Shrinking State Government
Across the nation, governors are slashing and consolidating boards, commissions and agencies as part of a larger effort at reforming government.