Cover Story
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.
FEATURES
Urban
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
Public Safety & Justice
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
Infrastructure & Environment
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
Politics & Elections
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
Public Safety & Justice
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
Politics & Elections
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
Commentary
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
Commentary
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
Politics & Elections
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
Health & Human Services
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
Infrastructure & Environment
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
Commentary
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
Commentary
After Harvey's Rainwaters Receded, Fears Rose
Like Katrina and Sandy, Harvey shook Houstonians' from their complacency.
BY William Fulton
PROBLEM SOLVER
Management & Labor
A Downsized Public Workforce May Be a Permanent Consequence of the Recession
State and local governments still haven't regained many of the jobs they cut, and they're unlikely to anytime soon.
BY Mike Maciag
Smart Management
How's My Program Doing? The Question That Doesn't Always Have a Good Answer
Program evaluation offices have yet to become common throughout government -- and where they do exist, many lawmakers don't know about them.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
Commentary
Homelessness Will Never End, But It Can Be Better Managed
The way we talk about the issue makes it more difficult to do what needs to be done.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Tech Talk
As Artificial Intelligence Grows in Government, Experts Urge Caution
The technology certainly has benefits, but some say they could be outweighed by its drawbacks.
BY Tod Newcombe
Commentary
Friends With Tax Benefits
Deep within the Affordable Care Act is a tax break that could help a lot of budgets.
BY Justin Marlowe
Infrastructure & Environment
Behind the Lens: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (for Arborists)
Photos and musings from our photographer David Kidd.
BY David Kidd
