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Our 2017 Public Officials of the Year

This group of honorees serves as an outstanding example of the strong determination, the bold ideas and the incredible amount of grit it takes to get things done in government.

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The Quiet Revolution Happening in the Suburbs

Suburbs first gained popularity for being everything a big city wasn't. Now they want to be just like downtown. BY Alan Greenblatt

As More Prisons Shutter, Governments Wonder What to Do With Them

Distilleries? Homeless shelters? Museums? There are lots of creative ideas for repurposing old lockups. But finding one that's good for the economy -- and wins approval -- isn't easy. BY Daniel C. Vock

OBSERVER

The Only Oil-and-Gas State Not Taxing Drilling

Strapped for cash, Pennsylvania may finally grant the governor a victory and enact a severance tax. But it's an uphill battle. BY Alan Greenblatt

In This Georgia Suburb, Old Rivalries Rule Today's Politics

"People are probably tired of their city being in the headlines," says former Snellville Mayor Kelly Kautz. BY Alan Greenblatt

Research Says Juveniles Need Their Own Miranda Rights

Studies suggest they're "too complex" for kids to understand, spurring some police departments to simplify the words they use when arresting them. BY Alan Greenblatt

Improper Influence? Who, Us?

Wisconsin's Supreme Court justices refused to tighten the rules about when they should recuse themselves from cases. It has sparked a battle between old judges and new ones. BY Alan Greenblatt

POLITICS + POLICY

The Plight of America's Overlooked Industrial Cities

Whether you're talking about Detroit or Youngstown, Ohio, so-called legacy cities have similar problems with no simple solution. BY Alan Ehrenhalt

Whose Disaster Is It?

No one wants to pay for natural disasters. But even small-government proponents may have to accept increased federal involvement. BY Donald F. Kettl

Where Have All the Black Mayors Gone?

Depending on the outcome of a potential recount, Atlanta's election on Tuesday could either counter or worsen the nationwide decline in the number of big-city black mayors. BY Alan Greenblatt

Maternity Wards Are Disappearing From Rural America

As rural hospitals struggle to keep their doors open, the high cost of ob-gyn wards makes them one of the first things cut. BY Mattie Quinn

A First Among States, California Plugs the 'Carbon Loophole'

The new Buy Clean California Act is the world’s first legislative effort to address supply chain carbon emissions. BY Elizabeth Daigneau

What Elon Musk Doesn't Get

The tunnels he wants to build under Los Angeles would profoundly affect the life of the city. BY Alex Marshall

After Harvey's Rainwaters Receded, Fears Rose

Like Katrina and Sandy, Harvey shook Houstonians' from their complacency. BY William Fulton

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