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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.

After the Kansas City Star revealed a deep culture of secrecy in the state’s government, politicians have started to address the lack of transparency.
In a region that values open space, the idea of expanding the housing supply is a tough sell -- even after the disaster destroyed 5,000 homes.
In a handful of states, they can't. A lawsuit involving Burger King was supposed to settle the debate in Arkansas.
In a job with tons of power and practically no oversight from voters, law enforcement or politicians, corruption can be easy to get away with.
Motivated by education cuts and a nationwide spirit of activism, dozens of teachers are running for legislative seats across the country.
In the GOP civil war between populists and centrists, populists gained ground in Tuesday's elections that kicked off the year's primary season.
Several experienced or well-funded independent candidates are running for governor. In some cases, leaving the Democratic or Republican party to do it.
More than a dozen alternative weeklies have shut down in the past 20 years, increasing the likelihood that local scandals will go unnoticed.
But renters may not want to celebrate just yet.
Some are increasing the amount of stolen goods that make theft a felony. But it can be a hard sell politically.