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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.

The new congressional stimulus package does not include direct aid for states and localities. Only a few states have seen revenues increase from last year, meaning cutbacks are coming due to COVID spending pressures.
Officials at all levels of government are receiving increased threats. They're not getting as much support as they should from officials at the highest levels or, in some cases, from law enforcement.
Nearly every great modern crisis has led to an expansion of federal power, but President Trump left the pandemic response largely to the states. This year, federalism was a boon both to health and election management.
Politicians who have imposed some of the nation's toughest coronavirus restrictions have been caught violating them. Their lack of self-control makes safety messages less convincing to the public.
Coronavirus dashboards are built on a pyramid of faxes, spreadsheets and phone calls. Public health technology investments have lagged behind other data-driven systems, making real-time information impossible to come by.
State lawmakers are increasingly unhappy about being sidelined, while complaining that governors have trampled civil liberties or harmed the economy. But they haven't presented a workable alternative to executive action.
The Democratic Party just had its most fervent wish come true but has already started tearing itself apart. Seth Masket, author of “Learning from Loss,” explains why the party is unwilling to celebrate.
In recent years, multiple candidates for governor and other state offices have declined to admit defeat. This has served to erode public trust and lessened cooperation among elected officials.
Mitch McConnell and other Republicans are opposed to further aid for states and localities. It looks like the Senate will stay in GOP hands, so prospects for relief next year have dimmed.
Republicans continue their dominance at the state level, with Democrats failing to take chambers ahead of redistricting. Two chambers leaders were unseated, while several states saw demographic breakthroughs.