Ever been riding in a taxi and gotten into a discussion about politics with the driver? Did he happen to be a politician himself? You could have that experience in Boston, where Phil Scapicchio, a member of the city council, has taken to driving a cab.

Austin, Texas, is a well-run city, and by now managers there are accustomed to sharing their "best practices" with others. But Austin's latest consulting gig is a bit unusual: helping the U.S. Army run Baghdad.

When Governing analyzed county management in 2002, Maricopa County, Arizona, earned high praise [Government Performance Project, "Grading the Counties"]. The report applauded the county for its management style, noting that there were established methods to rein in wayward departments.

The high costs and rising profiles of public employee pension benefits are raising the public's hackles.