Cover Story

The Man of Tomorrow: As Jerry Brown Leaves Office, He's Still Focused on the Future

BY Alan Greenblatt

Unlike most politicians, California's outgoing governor has made planning ahead a staple of his leadership -- even if it means going against his own party.

FEATURES

Offshore Wind Could Be the Next Big Breakthrough in Renewable Energy

After decades of false starts, turbines are starting to turn in several coastal states. BY Graham Vyse

Tulsa Struggles to Make Amends for a Massacre It Ignored for Nearly a Century

The Oklahoma city's "Black Wall Street" was one of the richest African-American neighborhoods in the country. Then whites burned it to the ground. BY Liz Farmer

To Get Rid of Blight, Baltimore Tries Something New

The city, which has more empty and dilapidated houses than most, is making buyers prove that they can afford to purchase a home -- and to fix it up. BY David Kidd

How a Tiny Office in Ohio Is Transforming Health Care

Some say John Kasich is "the first governor who has been able to move the private sector to really participate in health-care reform." BY Mattie Quinn

OBSERVER

All of the Above? The Ancient Voting Method One City Might Adopt

Advocates say "approval voting," which has never been used in electoral politics, offers voters more flexibility. BY Alan Greenblatt

Crime Victims' Rights Added to Several States' Constitutions

Supporters of so-called Marsy's Law hope eventually to amend the U.S. Constitution. BY Alan Greenblatt

With 2020 Census Looming, Governments Face Many Unknowns

Uncertainties about resources, and a question about residents' citizenship status, are making localities more nervous than usual about not counting people. BY Alan Greenblatt

State Tax Breaks Are Hurting Chicago's Suburbs

While some homeowners are now paying nothing in property taxes, businesses and local governments are feeling the pinch. BY Alan Greenblatt

When Citizen Engagement Becomes Too Much

Politicians say they want citizens to be involved. But it can make things harder to achieve. BY Alan Ehrenhalt

A Crisis in Motion: America's Transportation Dilemma

Federal policy, and other factors, are disrupting efforts to improve transit and forcing urban planners to make tough choices. BY Peter Harkness

In Baltimore, Police Seem Everywhere and Nowhere at Once

The city could be accused of policing too much and too little. BY Scott Beyer

Your ZIP Code Determines Your Life Expectancy, But Not in These 7 Places

What sets these outliers apart? BY Mike Maciag

BY Alan Greenblatt

FEATURES

OBSERVER

THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT

PAST ISSUES