Governing: State and local government news and analysis
A startling number of elections — more than two-thirds — are left uncontested.
Massachusetts has the lowest rate of traffic deaths per vehicle mile traveled, according to recently published federal data. State transportation leaders credit safety strategies — and congestion.
With strong mayoral leadership, Atlanta is not only leveraging creative financing to provide housing but also getting tough on landlords of blighted properties. It’s a recognition that homelessness is a moral issue rooted in poor public policy.
By the time federal crime rate statistics are published, they're already out of date. A new online resource provides a month-to-month view of crime rates.
Pandemic protections offer more ballot options, but election lies are driving new restrictions.
The former steel capital has already made the transition to advanced manufacturing. Its combination of tech talent, universities and power sources make it well-equipped to be a leader in AI.
A new public opinion survey commissioned by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows most Americans believe investments in housing and social service can reduce homelessness. A smaller fraction supports law enforcement as a primary solution.
It’s good politics for presidential candidates to talk about solving problems that presidents can’t do much about.
Neither Trump nor Harris seems to be running away with the contest in Clallam County, Wash. Its residents reflect the nation’s passions and polarization.
As a recent study documents, federal fiscal stimulus created a budget windfall for states. Most cut taxes, and some now must scramble to make up for shortfalls. Congress is likely to impose tighter restrictions on future countercyclical aid, so it’s a time for all levels of government to get their acts together.
Good jobs are a bedrock of resilient communities. State and local governments can spar over who sets standards, but there are ways to meet both state standards and local needs.
Future in Context
From expanding the role of state CIOs to building federal partnerships, the head of NASCIO makes the case for technologists in shaping the future of how government works.
Millions of Americans, particularly people of color buying lower-cost homes, have turned to land contracts and other alternative financing that lack the protections of traditional mortgages. Lawmakers could make these processes a lot safer.
Regional library systems provide vital services for small and under-resourced communities. But what happens when political divisions threaten to dismantle them?
Innovative wage subsidy programs and other services can help workers without college degrees demonstrate their skills to the employers who need them.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is zooming in on just over a dozen House races to try to keep its control of the state government. Also: Young women are more liberal than ever.
Tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act were designed to drive private-sector investments in clean energy. Where are investments and jobs landing?
Turning some of it into fuel, as a Michigan facility plans to do, is labeled as “recycling,” but it may be worse for the environment than dumping the waste into a landfill.
It could be a very different landscape than the one that will decide this year’s election. Will North Carolina be the next Pennsylvania?
Michigan appointed a chief infrastructure officer to help localities apply for federal dollars and meet statewide infrastructure goals. What can other states learn from this approach?
We need more welcoming public places where people can connect in person — high-quality, well-maintained parks, trails, libraries and community centers. Investing in them is good for us and good for democracy.
They do better in school, parents have to spend less money on food and all households benefit from lower grocery prices.
Nine towns are suing New Jersey over a law implementing aspects of the state’s affordable housing requirements. The rules have pushed states to produce more multifamily and low-income housing.
The public likes what lawmakers around the country are doing, but the industry’s lobbyists are working hard to embed provisions into trade deals that would undermine much of the progress states have made.
Future in Context
The organization that popularized civic hackathons is now taking on the responsible use of AI in government. Code for America draws on the collective expertise of the public, tech and nonprofit sectors to tackle societal challenges.
Local governments have jurisdiction over the third-largest source of methane emissions: the decomposition of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
An economist is making the case for such a correlation, and it carries a ring of plausibility.
In much of the country, downtowns remain relatively empty. The implications for property values, mortgage debt and property tax collections have not yet fully played out, says a Columbia University economist.
We know what works to prevent tragedies like the recent one at a Georgia high school. Effective gun policies could save thousands of lives.
Rainfall patterns are changing. What can local leaders do to curb the growing risks?
