America's Demographic Destiny Can't Be Ignored
The birth rate is at an all-time low. That’s going to have a major impact on public services.
Authors
Peter Harkness |
Email : pharkness@governing.comPeter Harkness, founder and publisher emeritus of GOVERNING, now serves as a co-writer of the Potomac Chronicle column. He launched GOVERNING in 1987 after serving as editor and deputy publisher of the Congressional Quarterly news service. Peter currently also is a senior policy adviser to the Pew Center on the States.
Signs of Hope for the Media Industry
Its problems didn't start with Trump, but he ironically may be helping to turn some of them around.
Why I'm Optimistic About America's Economic Outlook
Another recession is in the forecast. This time, states seem ready to weather it.
Hope for Fixing the Heart of America's Voting Problems
The system is broken. But the midterms laid the foundation for reforming it.
A Crisis in Motion: America's Transportation Dilemma
Federal policy, and other factors, are disrupting efforts to improve transit and forcing urban planners to make tough choices.
On Water Problems, Governments Actually Work Together
When it comes to dirty lakes and rivers, governments have learned how to cooperate.
Federalism Is Broken. Can It Be Fixed?
Our federal system is tied up in knots. We have to try to untie them.
It’s Time for Governments to Try Federalism Again
Our toughest problems can’t be solved unless we learn to work together.
These 2 Men Made Careers Out of Fighting for Federalism
One of them, Paul Posner, who recently died, spent decades advocating for a stronger relationship between federal, state and local governments.
First He Reinvented Government. Now He Wants to Reinvent Schools.
In his new book, David Osborne argues the best way to fix the education system is to increase charter schools and create a survival-of-the-fittest system.
The Fractured State of Federalism
It's hard to tell who's in charge of what in American government these days.
Let's Give the Stimulus Its Due
It saved the economy, but that isn't always acknowledged.
Trump-Watching From City Hall
His policy choices will challenge places from Manhattan to Mobile, Ala.
Outposts of Rationality in Our Great Partisan Divide
U.S. politics isn't all poisonous. You just have to leave Washington to realize that.
Conjectures From the Swamp
D.C. may be an object of Republican disdain, but it’s now at the center of governmental change.
The Upside of Police Chiefs' Recent Departures
They’re stepping down in cities across the country, opening up opportunities for major change.
Millennials and Homeownership
The uncertainty of where they'll live is creating new challenges.
Washington, D.C.’s Monumental Decay
In D.C., above and below ground, historic and vital infrastructure is in bad shape. There’s plenty of blame to spread around for that.
Confronting Climate Change’s Biggest Deniers
Some of the skeptics are also the people with the most power to make a difference. Ignoring or denying the issue isn’t an option.
Detroit and New Orleans Have More in Common Than Most Think
Most important, their prospects for survival can teach us about the resiliency of urban areas everywhere.
Plan B for Ending the Gun Epidemic
Federal firearm laws are unlikely to change, so it’s up to states and localities to lead a societal effort.
State and Local Governments' Ticking Debt Bomb
The U.S. may not be the next Greece, but it must face up to some hard decisions.
Public Universities Have Forgotten Their Mission
As public education becomes less public, what new economic model will emerge?
Washington’s Education Stalemate
Why improving our schools looks hopeless on Capitol Hill.
Utah’s Secret Weapon for Long-Range Planning
Most governments don’t plan for population growth well. But Utah’s grassroots, nonideological, research-based approach has become a model for other states and localities.
The ‘CEO-Mayors’ Who Care About Cities Instead of Profits
Dan Gilbert of Detroit is just one example of what a CEO determined to help their communities can accomplish.
Washington’s Media Myopia
With practically no legislation moving through Congress, the Washington press corps is beginning to focus on action in states and localities.
Crazy Quilt Federalism
Innovation is happening in a lot of places, just in different ways.
Are Governments Neglecting Planes and Trains?
Even though airports and public transportation systems are in need of upgrades, all anyone ever talks about is roads and bridges.
The Great Water Paradox
With far too little water in some places and far too much in others, U.S. governments can no longer ignore climate change.
How Big Cities Push Big New Ideas
As urban populations have grown, cities have become centers of innovation.
Poverty Won't Be Solved by Congress
Since Congress has trouble tying its shoes, states and localities must take the lead reversing the dangerous trends of rising inequality and stagnant mobility.
America Risks Wasting Fracking’s Potential
Hydraulic fracking holds so much promise for generating inexpensive, relatively clean energy. But first, we need to figure out how to regulate it.
What (Not) to Expect from Congress This Session
Congress is back, but don’t expect the players in this sad comedy to know or care much about how any pieces of legislation they pass will affect our states, regions or metros.
Federalism from the Bottom Up
More than ever, the feds need states and local regions to take the lead in crafting promising new programs.
Who Pays for Superstorm Sandy?
States don’t just want money to rebuild -- they want money to make far-reaching changes to infrastructure too.
It's Time for States, Localities to Think Boldly
Elections and governance have become so intertwined that it’s hard to know when campaigns begin or end. We do know we need big ideas.
Washington, D.C.’s Other 1-Percent Problem
The nation’s capital is more about what you own these days than what you do.
The Politics of Rising Tuition Costs
Obama blames the states, but the problem is more complicated.
Public Universities Reach a Tipping Point
Severe funding cuts and the record-high numbers of people going to college are forcing state university systems to make tough decisions about financial aid, curriculums, research and more.
The Affordable Care Act: A Case Study for Cooperative Federalism?
If the health reform law is upheld, the flexibility it will give states on health insurance exchanges could be a model for healthy federal-state relations.
Despite Corruption Concerns, D.C. Improves Services
Amid several ethics scandals, the city government has dramatically improved its delivery of services -- even as demand has increased.
What Brand of Federalism Is Next?
Obama’s mixed approach of coercion and collaboration seems to be working, but that may not last.
Column: Housing Policy Deserves a Demotion
GOVERNING Publisher Emeritus Peter Harkness says it may be time for government to get out of the business of promoting homeownership.
Severe Budget Cuts Ahead
With stimulus funding gone, a misinformed citizenry is unprepared for the funding cuts on the horizon.
Cities Must Find the Economy's Fix
With Washington paralyzed by its debt and states facing deficits, the pressure is on local governments to raise more revenue or make significant structural changes to reduce costs.
The Truth about Bankruptcy
Exaggerating problems is more about politics than budget balancing.
Public Servants as Public Enemy #1
At all levels, denigration of public service is a legacy of the recession.
The Nation's Outlook on Trains
Bullet trains may be sidetracked, but not commuter rail.
Finding a Leader With Answers
As problems cry out for solutions, we need more Richard Daleys.
Low-Flow Revenue Stream
When some labor unions in Rockford, Ill., came out in support of an increase in the local sales tax last month, it wasn't big news....
Test, but Verify
Almost two years ago, this space discussed George W. Bush's centerpiece education program in a column that started off this way: "There is a rebellion...