Governing: State and local government news and analysis
By comparing the operating efficiency of 149 of the largest U.S. cities, experts at WalletHub, the personal finance firm, have come up with a score for which ones are managed best.
Nationally, nearly 900 unique titles had been targeted for bans during the first half of the 2022-2023 school year. Most bans target stories by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, but some include books on history and art.
As the quick work on a Philadelphia highway collapse shows, there are people in government who know how to get things done. But too often, we let “citizen voice” make the process harder and too expensive.
Taking downtown residential is an attractive idea. But it’s not the ultimate solution to central city decline.
We’re already seeing the potential for what tools like ChatGPT can do to improve public services. It’s time for governments at all levels to invest in training their people in the technology.
Despite steady gains, the LGBTQ+ community is severely underrepresented in elected office.
Inadequate housing stock is causing problems across the country. Local zoning is part of the problem. State-level reforms in two western states may point to the answer.
Most American households don’t save enough for retirement, so some states are pushing private employers to make it easier through state-sponsored payroll withholding plans. Getting the structure and strategy right is crucial.
Our resident humanities scholar reflects on a nation fundamentally divided, again.
Chief privacy officer roles exist in 21 states and counting. As the job evolves, we look at where those IT leaders sit, how they collaborate with their peers and where the field is going.
This year, at least 10 states have implemented or expanded programs for vouchers and other state private education subsidies. There are currently voucher and similar programs in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
Workplace and financial realities will require city leaders, property owners and lenders to take action to break the cycle and reimagine downtowns.
There used to be a time when voters had to choose from a much smaller pool of candidates. Meanwhile the Voting Rights Act lives and ways to encourage poll workers.
A portion of Interstate 95 collapsed in Philadelphia after a gasoline tanker caught fire. Officials have promised a rapid response that “cuts through the red tape.”
Researchers from Columbia University visited five states to see how they were using money from the American Rescue Plan to build their public health workforces. They found that politics might matter even more than dollars.
The numbers are still at historical lows. Civic engagement is the most important factor in building trust in our institutions, and our communities need to find better ways to encourage active participation in civic life.
As Waymo and Cruise seek to expand autonomous taxi services in San Francisco, some public agencies worry about the impacts on transit operations and emergency response.
Community colleges are ideally situated to produce police officers who better understand the delicate balance between acting as guardians and as warriors.
It took a long time for the state’s unique system of governance to fall into the hyperpartisanship that so many states have experienced. Can Nebraska find a way back?
Many bills die during the end-of-session rush. Some people like it that way.
A few states have proposed or passed laws defining "male" and "female," and more such legislation may be coming. Critics say the definitions amount to erasure of those who choose gender identities different than the one they were given at birth.
Digital solutions can modernize construction, increase safety and improve return on investments. But the traditional ways of purchasing and contracting are unsuited to the rapid pace of technological change.
Sober reflections for presidential aspirants.
Libraries once struggled to keep up with demand. Now branches are removing computers as they move toward a future built on providing a wide array of technology to patrons.
Imagine political technologists develop a machine called Clogger, a political campaign in a black box. Clogger relentlessly pursues just one objective: to maximize the chances that its candidate prevails in an election.
An analysis of zoning laws in Connecticut finds people in single-family areas are likelier to be white and have higher incomes than those in areas that allow more housing. The findings add to a growing recognition of how zoning is linked with segregation and exclusion.
Some point to pretrial release from jail to explain increases in homicides and other violent crimes. But as a new study shows, the data doesn't support that argument.
The users of the river need to treat its needs as equal to their own. That means looking out for its environmental health.
Public support for the LGBTQ+ community has grown steadily for decades. But some state legislators are pushing back against changing attitudes.
The Texas attorney general has been impeached for accepting bribes, but his case speaks to the broader importance of AG offices across the country.
