Cover Story
2014's Top 10 Legislative Issues to Watch
BY Liz Farmer
Plus six trending issues that could be big this year.
FEATURES
Politics & Elections
12 State Legislators to Watch in 2014
It’s a tough time to be a politician, but these state lawmakers are really making a mark.
BY Louis Jacobson
Politics & Elections
2012 Legislators to Watch: Where Are They Now?
Since we last published a list of 12 state legislators to watch in January 2012, we’ve seen one legislator rocket to national stardom, two abruptly, and voluntarily, leave politics altogether and the rest continue to soldier on in the political trenches.
BY Louis Jacobson
Urban
Corporate Entrepreneurs Are at the Heart of Downtown Revitalizations
Private-sector actors are reshaping the center of some cities in ways local governments no longer have the ability to do themselves.
BY Alan Greenblatt
Finance
Cities Create Music, Cultural Festivals to Make Money
Municipal officials and entrepreneurs see the power of cultural events as a way to spur short-term tourism while shaping an image of the host city as a cool, dynamic location where companies and citizens in modern, creative industries can thrive.
BY Chad Kaydo
Education
A Battle Over School Reform: Michelle Rhee vs. Diane Ravitch
As the No Child Left Behind era ends and Common Core begins, two education heavyweights face-off over what we’ve learned and where we’ve gone wrong.
BY John Buntin
POLITICS + POLICY
Politics & Elections
Are Governors’ State of the State Speeches All Talk?
Governors only succeed about half the time in passing legislative proposals they push for in their annual address.
BY J.B. Wogan
Politics & Elections
Meet 2014's New Mayors
Voters elected an unusually high number of new big-city mayors in November.
BY Ryan Holeywell
Finance
Snow: Every Budgeters’ Worst Nightmare
The unpredictability of snow doesn’t just drive citizens and public works crews crazy – it makes it nearly impossible for city officials to plan their budgets.
BY Mike Maciag
Education
Will the Common Core Backlash Return in 2014?
States are supposed to implement the new education standards this fall. But the opposition to Common Core – which has enemies of every political persuasion – could undermine the program first.
BY Chris Kardish
Assessments
A Creative Comeback in the Big Easy
After years of stagnation following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is building itself a new economy.
BY Alan Ehrenhalt
Dispatch
Why Do Politicians Prefer Old Media?
Even though Americans are increasingly looking to online media for their news, public officials still give preference to TV and print newspapers when responding to requests for information.
BY Paul W. Taylor
Washington Watch
America Risks Wasting Fracking’s Potential
Hydraulic fracking holds so much promise for generating inexpensive, relatively clean energy. But first, we need to figure out how to regulate it.
BY Peter Harkness
FedWatch
Fighting Fires Burns Through Money That Keeps Them from Starting
Wildfires in the U.S. are becoming bigger, more destructive and more frequent. And the extra cost of putting them out comes straight from the budget for fire prevention.
BY Ryan Holeywell
Health & Human Services
‘Death with Dignity’ or ‘Assisted Suicide’?
Whether or not Americans support doctors helping terminally ill patients to voluntarily end their lives depends on the words used to describe the issue. Those words also determine the success of such bills.
BY David Levine
Infrastructure & Environment
Dried Up and Maxed Out, California Tries to Make It Snow
After its driest year on record, the state is trying one of the cheaper ways of staving off drought: cloud seeding. But is it safe and does it work?
BY Elizabeth Daigneau
Transportation & Infrastructure
How Globalization Isolates Struggling Cities
Troubled post-industrial places need help building better connections with more successful cities.
BY Aaron M. Renn
Urban Notebook
Breaking Down the Barriers to Affordable Housing
With homeownership at its lowest level in decades, the demand for rental housing is high -- and so are the rents.
BY Tod Newcombe
PROBLEM SOLVER
Management & Labor
The Most Dangerous Government Jobs and Why They're Riskier Than the Private Sector
Public-sector workers typically face a greater risk of suffering an injury on the job than other segments of the workforce. Read five key takeaways from new industry-level data.
BY Mike Maciag
Smart Management
The Corporate Playbook for Government
Should governments emulate the business practice of Fortune 500 companies?
BY Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene
On Leadership
All Things Fall Apart (Even Governments)
That's why organizations need constant renewal to survive.
BY Mark Funkhouser
Tech Talk
Government Technology Trends to Watch in 2014
The top 3 tech policy trends that will demand attention from state and local leaders this year.
BY Steve Towns
Public Money
Why Paying for Public Colleges Really Pays Off
The disinvestment and reliance on higher student fees and tuition creates significant risks not only for students—but for states, too.
BY Frank Shafroth
Infrastructure & Environment
January 2014 Last Look: The World’s Shortest, Steepest Scenic Railway
A way for businessmen to take a mid-day nap in the 1800s, the incline in Dubuque, Iowa, is still used by commuters and sightseers today.
BY
