Putting Psychology to Work in the Public Sector
Three new books offer public officials insights into how people make judgments — and how institutions can make better decisions.
Tina Trenkner (@TinaTrenkner) is GOVERNING.com deputy web editor. She started at GOVERNING in 2009 and has covered stories such as the rise of the coder in local government and the risks of using social media. Previously, she worked for Education Week and Pre-K Now, a completed project from the Pew Center on the States. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and thinks of Evanston often.
Three new books offer public officials insights into how people make judgments — and how institutions can make better decisions.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld announced Thursday night that he will retire after 31 years with the police force, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Half of the states and Washington, D.C. do not have effective methods for evaluating tax incentives for economic development, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States.
Budget holes, public sector benefits and job creation: these are issues everyone governor is grappling with. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has made considerable progress on each of them, explaining his approach during a lunchtime keynote speech Tuesday.
North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue's campaign committee released a statement Thursday afternoon that she will not seek a second term.
The United States has dropped 27 spots in Reporters Without Borders 10th annual World Press Freedom Index, now ranking at 47th in the world for press freedom.
After instituting new bike lanes and one of the nation’s largest bikeshare programs in D.C., Klein hopes to have similar success as Chicago’s new transit chief.
Even though Gov. Scott Walker left public safety employees out of his attack on unions, the president of the Madison fire fighters union protested as if it were his own.
Many are watching to see how former Wal-Mart executive Bryan Koon will adapt his private-sector knowledge to aiding the Sunshine State.
Washington, D.C., hopes to roll out the nation’s first online intrastate casino. Buddy Roogow is leading the way.
How can employees and managers address and benefit from changes in government? Patrick Ibarra, a former city manager and now workforce consultant, provides insight on how to keep employees focused and engaged.
U.S. Department of Labor grants help fund efforts like the Missouri Disaster Recovery Jobs Program, which provides temp jobs to those unemployed due to tornadoes and floods.
Mary Taylor is the only deputy to also serve as the state insurance commissioner, a position she balances along with heading up a regulatory reform commission.
Mayor Tony Kennon has pushed for bigger beach cleanup efforts, faster settlement of claims and larger marketing budgets to bring visitors back to Alabama's Gulf Coast.
A recent transparency conference provided one Virginia local official the opportunity to explain the challenge governments like his face in embracing transparency initiatives.
Credit union officials in Rhode Island are having discussions on a potential PLS pilot, while a few states are considering legislation allowing for such programs.
Jason Helgerson, formerly Wisconsin's Medicaid director, came to New York to help control costs.
Credit unions want permission to award cash and prizes to customers who save.
Square codes on building permits allows passersby to learn more about construction via their smartphones.
Former City Councilmember Jean Quan hopes to make her office more accessible and transparent.
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Featuring Maricopa business owners through city channels provides credibility and publicity, and encourages citizens to buy local.
Maryland Gov. O'Malley, Sec. Sebelius, and economist Mark Zandi shared their fiscal and political forecasts at the 2011 Outlook on the States and Localities conference. Their remarks are now available online.
An Arizona Department of Transportation pilot allows produce trucks from Mexico to enter the state with more cargo, helping expedite crossings.
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The Utah Legislature is considering a bill that would set up a pilot program requiring unemployed Medicaid recipients to provide community service in order to receive benefits.
This is the question the Maryland State Highway Administration hopes to answer with a one-year pilot program.
Mike Flood, a lawyer and broadcaster, leads the nation's only unicameral Legislature.
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To entice more people to enjoy downtown restaurants and attractions, Charleston, S.C. is pursuing a year-long valet pilot program. Chapel Hill, N.C., currently operates a similar valet parking program.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
There’s a new breed of software developer helping local government.
Could Foursquare predict voter sentiment and election results? A few online projects are testing how the location-based social platform can be utilized for election and political coverage.
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As part of their adult programming, the Scottsdale Public Library invited local investigators to search for paranormal activity. What librarians found was an increase in interest and visits.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Is flying the "Don't Tread on Me" flag a protected nod to America’s past? Some states’ laws are unclear.
A couple of online projects are trying Foursquare to test how the location-based social platform can be utilized for election coverage.
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Would constituents be more likely to attend meetings on upcoming city projects if they knew that pumpkin painting, concerts or pancake breakfasts would be offered? Boulder, Colo., city officials think so.
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Two cities, notorious for their traffic congestion problems, propose a partnership to share resources and research on how to combat these issues.
States stuck with maintaining federal highways are paying more attention to the potential of interstate tolls.
Does thinking about health care reform make your head hurt? A video by the Kaiser Family Foundation makes things easy.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
A clarification in New York's housing laws targets illegal hotel operators -- and apartment owners.
A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation can help states prepare to enroll and care for childless adults that will be eligible for Medicaid in 2014.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
If citizens wanted to find out how much money their public officials make, just how easy is it for them to find this information?
A growing source of profit for card companies took a hit in Vermont.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Seattle is considering building its own fiber-to-the-home network. Should the city get involved when its residents are already connected?
A new city ordinance requiring retailers to display how much radiation cell phones give off is causing quite a stir with the wireless industry.
A new Maryland law prohibits schools from sending test scores to military recruiters. It might protect student privacy, but prevent career discovery.
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.
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Training veterans in urban forestry provides them with job skills and a potential career. It also helps Denver get a little closer to its goal of planting 1 million trees.
What is the responsibility of states to innocent people wrongly convicted of a crime?
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Nashville residents affected by flash floods have a day dedicated for meeting with a team of volunteer advisers on how to create a rebuilding and recovery plan.
Does the length of an ethics code affect how much it can help public employees? An assistant city manager in California responds.
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Scanning driver's license bar codes to check-in voters could minimize the amount of time waiting at the polls.
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A partnership in Maine could help repair homes and provide disadvantaged workers with career training.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
Libraries are evolving to offer a wider variety of services, including grocery ordering and pick up.
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If your county needs to demolish a major structure but doesn't have the funds to do so, where can commissioners turn? One Pinellas County, Florida...
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Truancy, or unexcused absences from school, can be an early indicator of potential troubling behaviors. In Maryland, truants at select schools may be able to...
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In Ohio, if a small business had a problem with dishonest vendors or unfair practices, they had few options to make things right. The state's...
After the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy and in the wake of the recent University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting, people who study or work on a...
Over the weekend, Time magazine highlighted a new study from Princeton that may predict what could happen to a city if one of its daily ...
Fast-food chain KFC is offering to fix four cities' pothole problems in a public-private partnership designed to help advertise the freshness of the restaurant's ...
A few people at Governing are anticipating tonight's premiere of NBC's "Parks and Recreation," a mockumentary about a deputy director of ... ...
What exactly is growing in Detroit right now? A little digging finds that urban gardens have and are taking root in the Motor City. The ...
Nobody envies the position California's lawmakers are in. They have a $21.3 billion hole to fill. But do those of us who aren't state ...
This week, the 13th annual Webbys were awarded to Web sites that exemplify the best on the Internet each year. The distinctive aspect of the ...
Lots of Facebook users share things on their own and on others' profiles, like how much they can't wait for the new Harry Potter ...
This morning on the TODAY show, Ann Curry interviewed Brad Pitt, and she asked if he would consider running for mayor of New Orleans. Most ...
GOVERNING's design director David Kidd and c orrespondent Rob Gurwitt traveled to the Niagara Falls region for a September story comparing the economic conditions ...
In this installment of Story Behind the Story, correspondent Rob Gurwitt learned just how much someone would travel to see both sides of Niagara Falls. ...
Over the last few days, Governing's office has been buzzing over our Managing Performance conference in Atlanta this week. In lieu of another installment ...
I've been traveling around the country, photographing people and places for GOVERNING, for almost a year now. The obvious location to make pictures of dedicated ...
Photo courtesy of alsandro, Wikimedia Commons. In lieu of a Question of the Week that we usually post on Facebook and LinkedIn (requires sign-in and ...
Photo courtesy of pugetsoundphotowalks, Creative Commons. Here at Governing, we wanted to have a little fun for the holidays. So we posted a government-themed holiday ...
For our final entry in the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas government-poem contest, an entry from Colorado: 'Twas the ...
You may not really notice it, but the fonts used on the signs you read have a huge role in how you receive information. If ...
On Facebook, both seasoned users and newbies may struggle with what to put in the little box below the profile picture that says "Write ...
One year ago, President Obama released his Open Goverment memo, encouraging more transparency. How much progress has been made one year later? Chris Quigley, founder ...
Last month, when I spoke to e-communications firm Delib founder Chris Quigley (who filmed a short documentary about President Obama's Open Government memo one ...
Governments have performance data to judge the efficiency of the programs they put in place. Naturally, online sites have metrics too. How soon will that ...
The U.S. Department of Education announced the first winners of Race to the Top, the $4.35 billion grant program encouraging states to make big reforms ...
Last week, Governing's Public Workforce newsletter writer, Heather Kerrigan, and I were throwing around some potential story ideas to cover this summer. One topic ...
Andrea Boland is worried about cell phone safety, but unlike a lot of state legislators, her focus is not talking or texting while driving. Instead,...
The week before Jan. 19, 2010, was a busy one for Tim Webb, Tennessee's commissioner of education. Webb and his aides were in meetings and briefings in...
Jeffrey Horne wasn't new to social media. He liked using Facebook and Twitter to keep up with friends and had dabbled some in blogging. Early...
A new law in Georgia makes it the first state to clear a legal path for adopting human embryos in much the same way as...
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As more and more state and local agencies use social media as a tool to share news and updates, many Web managers suggest having a...
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If a disaster strikes your community, who or what would you consult in order to save your family? If you live in San Mateo County,...
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The federal trial in which California's Proposition 8 will be challenged is controversial for two reasons: the legal issue and the broadcasting issue at stake. A...
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Many roadway authorities are looking for ways to cut down on the costs to prepare and clear lanes during winter storms. Last week's Idea Center...
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Washington State is looking to narrow its budget gap and one way the state is trying to do so can be seen at malls this...
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This year, the city and county of Denver sent out 344,000 ballots for a mail-only election on school board representatives and an auto impound ordinance. To...
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A recent New Jersey mandate requires all children to have health insurance. Hospitals statewide are encouraged to enroll uninsured newborns in the state's free or...
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Photo courtesy of C-Ali, under a Creative Commons license. This past June, Palo Alto, California, hosted its first citywide yard sale, designating a day when...
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St. Petersburg, Florida Mayor Rick Baker was one of the mayors that nonprofit KaBOOM! recognized for creating and updating city playgrounds. Photo courtesy of KaBOOM!...
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There are a few places that are recognized as "blue zones" for having a large number of centenarians -- among them Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma...
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Need real-time road updates? Unsure if you should boil water -- just to be safe? Check the news, but you may want to check Twitter...
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The next time you visit Montauk, New York City or the Finger Lakes, it may be easier to dine or sleep greener. Within the last...
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In 2008, Louisiana was ranked #22 in Site Selection magazine's Top State Business Climate Rankings, a huge jump from being unranked in 2007. To help strengthen municipalities' ability...
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Many economists say that there could be a jobless recovery in the next few years, but development of green economies in the states could create...
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One year ago, Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast, damaging homes and pushing homeowners to file claims with insurance companies. But filing claims also comes...
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Broward County Public Schools started school this week, and some surprising figures are expected to take their turn at the chalkboard. This year, administrators that...
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GOVERNING recognized Maine's Safe Medicine Disposal for ME Program as a way for the state to prevent unused medications from entering the water supply or...
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The next time you see a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, walking through a parking lot, don't automatically assume he or she is ready...
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Photo illustration by fishfoot, available under a Creative Commons license. This year has been the first year since 1994 that Maryland's blue crab population has been...
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Photo by richardmasoner, available under a Creative Commons license. Nearly a third of all children are overweight, often caused by factors such as poor nutrition...
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This video from the 2008 press conference after Oregon's first Citizens' Initiative Review highlights representatives from the panel explaining why they support or oppose Ballot Measure 58....
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Food deserts, areas with many fast-food outlets and few shops to buy healthier foods like fruits and vegetables, often contribute to higher obesity and diabetes...
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Up until 1996, the federal government provided local property tax information from across the country, but publishing that information stopped due to budget cuts. Today, the...
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This interview from FOX 2 News in Detroit features Wayne County Circuit Judge Wade McCree explaining how he decided to impose a new punishment for delinquent...
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Nothing can ruin a trip to the local park like broken equipment, graffiti or loose dogs. An online program in use in San Francisco and...
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Fifty-one percent of Americans have said that they could not give up their cell phones -- and why would they? Mobile phones have gone beyond...
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Courtesy of Virginia Department of Transportation In the U.S., motorists are used to obeying straight painted lines along roads to guide them in driving...
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Photo by Solo, with others, available under a Creative Commons By Attribution license. There are many benefits to living in a college town: employment opportunities,...
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To reduce vacancy rates and promote city living, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, partnering with home-ownership and community advocates, created an online home...
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Neighborhood revitalization and preservation is one of Virginia Beach's priorities. Through its PREmier Homes and Neighborhoods program, the city hopes to cultivate community ownership of...
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O'Hare's Terminal 2 is now home to two technology lounges where visitors can explore the city's skyline, Millennium Park and other popular views with the touch...
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Southwest Virginia wants its natives to consider staying home--and coming home--for job opportunities. Return to Roots, a three-year-old Web site funded by a grant from...
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Across the country, counties and towns are receiving funds from the Neighborhood Stablization Program that is part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act Congress...
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Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin (left) and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota (right) think their neighboring states can work together to improve efficiency...
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Paris and Washington, D.C. are two cities, among others, known for their bike-sharing programs. Austin, Texas, has implemented a similar program--but this one is...
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With Florida losing jobs and tax revenue, an alliance including the Florida League of Mayors, the Florida Press Association, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and...
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In addition to complying with President Obama's mandate that governments receiving economic stimulus funds must document how the money is spent, some states are creating...