Internet Explorer 11 is not supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.
alan-greenblatt

Alan Greenblatt

Editor

Alan Greenblatt — Editor. He is the coauthor of a standard textbook on state and local governments. He previously worked as a reporter for NPR and CQ and has written about politics and culture for many other outlets, print and online. He can be found on Twitter at @AlanGreenblatt.

Everyone in the criminal justice system — sheriffs, prosecutors, judges, parole boards — has enormous discretion. Some lawmakers believe that authority is now being abused.
Governments are struggling with high vacancy rates. Rather than trying to return to the pre-pandemic world, they should rethink how workers do their jobs to foster job satisfaction and more capable performance, an expert argues.
A cloud of misinformation has led a half-dozen states to abandon the most powerful tool available to combat voter fraud across state lines.
If Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas wins, he may owe it all to his law-and-order message. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Supreme Court and promoting partisan gerrymandering, Doug La Follette steps down and more.
Missouri's Legislature has a plan to take over the police force in St. Louis. It's just one example of states taking direct control of public safety in their largest cities.
Nearly a dozen counties in Oregon have voted to leave Salem behind and join Idaho. Local secession movements have sprung up in multiple states due to the urban-rural political divide.
Blue states have played key roles in all the recent GOP primaries. Plus, rejecting ranked-choice voting, the Pennsylvania House has already had two speakers this year, the seats for St. Louis Board of Aldermen are particularly competitive and Mississippi considers restoring its initiative process.
The real problem is that being a big-city mayor during the pandemic was a no-win proposition. Meanwhile, the race for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat has already cost more than $10 million and special elections are likely to be nastier and more expensive than before.
Lots of other Republican governors and senators hoped to be the one who could take down Donald Trump. At this early stage, DeSantis has the best shot, thanks to his ability to frame hot-button issues and attract media attention.
Suicide, overdoses and intake of anxiety medications have all gone up during the pandemic. Counties are having to deal with those challenges and many others, at a time when many of them are losing population and face constrained resources.