Cover Story
Meet the 2018 Public Officials of the Year
These honorees didn’t just set goals; they set ambitious, attention-grabbing goals that they're accomplishing.
FEATURES
Finance
Pension Politics: Should States Be Investing in Controversial Companies?
It’s an increasingly divisive question. If the goal is to affect change -- from gun control to climate change -- some argue that to divest is the best, while others believe pensions would have more power keeping their financial stake.
BY Liz Farmer
Management & Labor
As Protections for Pregnant Workers Falter in Congress, States Step Up
The 1978 federal pregnancy discrimination law hasn’t kept up with changes in the workplace, and efforts to reform it have failed.
BY Mattie Quinn
OBSERVER
Politics & Elections
What J.B. Pritzker’s Election Means for Illinois
Of all the new governors, few will change the culture of their states as much as him.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Finance
This Small New England City Was on the Verge of Bankruptcy. Now It’s a Turnaround Success Story.
Springfield, Mass., is in the best shape it’s been in a generation.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Urban
Why More and More Cities Aren't Prioritizing Your Parking Troubles
Cities are eliminating requirements for new buildings to have parking.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Assessments
Is Statehouse News Actually Declining, or Just Different?
There’s still plenty of coverage of governors and legislatures. But the void of newspaper reporters has been filled with partisan-slanted bloggers.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Washington Watch
'Jenga Federalism': Trump's Method for Undoing Obama's Policies
The White House has learned that there’s more than one way to attack a liberal-leaning federal government.
BY Donald F. Kettl
Urban Notebook
Big Cities Are Getting Richer, Leaving Suburbs Behind
It’s a massive shift in the dynamic between outlying communities and urban cores.
BY Pete Saunders
Education
Chronic Absenteeism a Major Problem in U.S. Schools
More than 15 percent of students are missing almost a month of school. Districts don't know how to address the issue.
BY Mike Maciag
THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT
Smart Management
Accounting for Oysters: The Importance of Fiscal Notes in Policymaking
As Maryland has learned, it’s crucial to know the costs of proposed legislation.
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
On Leadership
In Poverty Fight, Philadelphia Mayor Takes a New Tactic
Jim Kenney is focused on rebuilding public spaces that everyone uses as a way to address the highest poverty rate of any big U.S. city.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Public Money
It’s Hard to Get Cities to Share Services. States Can Help.
Fiscal incentives can encourage local governments to consolidate redundant operations.
BY Justin Marlowe
Transportation & Infrastructure
What GPS Has Taken Away
Paper maps help us know a place better.
BY Alex Marshall
Education
With Child Homelessness on the Rise, What Can Schools Do?
"This is something that school districts are just going to have to plan for," says an education official in Washington state, which is proactively helping these students succeed and secure housing.
BY Mattie Quinn
Infrastructure & Environment
Under China's New Rules, U.S. Recycling Suffers
Some cities are closing recycling plants. Others are ending curbside pickup. For recycling to be sustainable, consumers must learn to sort their trash better.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Infrastructure & Environment
Can a Park Heal Racial Rifts?
Photos and musings from our photographer.
BY David Kidd
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