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alan-greenblatt

Alan Greenblatt

Alan Greenblatt is a former editor of Governing. He is the co-author 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 reached at Alan.greenblatt@outlook.com and on X at @AlanGreenblatt.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert took office during the depths of the Great Recession and is leaving while a pandemic is raging. For all that, he remains optimistic about his growing state.
Lots of people no longer feel at home with either the Democratic or Republican parties. They usually hate one of the major parties too much, however, to chance their vote on a third party.
For decades, cities relied on performing arts groups to help drive revitalization. Now nearly every company in the country has been shuttered for months, acting as a drag on local business.
State attorneys general are facing issues ranging from racism and sexual harassment to a fatal accident. Their scandals differ, but they have some underlying political dynamics in common.
Recalls against governors in states including Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin appear to be going nowhere. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, however, is turning to the state supreme court to block an attempt.
There have already been clashes, sometimes fatal, between protesters and self-styled militia. The public appears to be growing more tolerant of political violence, at least when perpetrated by partisans on their side.
The Trump administration's ban on evictions will prevent millions from losing their homes ahead of the election. Those who are already homeless, however, may find themselves disenfranchised.
Congress is blocked from passing bills that impose unfunded mandates. The 25-year-old restriction isn't perfect but has saved states, cities and counties billions of dollars.
More than a dozen incumbent legislators may have lost seats in Tuesday's primaries, including a state Senate president. The results continued a trend of insufficiently ardent partisans being unseated in both parties.
Growth remains a bigger worry than unemployment in at least a few cities. They're scattered around the country, but their economies have a few qualities in common that have made them pandemic-proof.