There’s a reason so many local governments rely on the council-manager system: It balances democratic accountability with operational expertise.
When it comes to public-sector jobs and elective office, age discrimination is real. Governments would do well to tap into the experience and the particular type of intelligence that people of a certain age can bring to bear.
The major public funds have almost doubled their investments in high-fee, nontraditional vehicles, and important new research shows how costly it’s been. It’s a wake-up call for greater scrutiny of fee structures and consultants' assumptions.
No rainmaker, aqueduct or prayer can save the Ogallala Aquifer from depletion. The battle over its decline pits good policy against powerful agricultural and political interests.
Peers who have been through the juvenile justice system can help put incarcerated young people on a path to rehabilitation and redemption, but these mentors need access. States should give it to them.
People associate climate effects more with California and Florida, but Florida has seen flooding, wildfires and devastating thunderstorms in addition to this week's hurricane.
New York and other cities are changing their zoning codes to allow clean, small-scale production in their commercial corridors. Opening up retail spaces to “artisanal manufacturing” has many benefits for communities.
From cars to school buses to battery manufacturing, no state can match Georgia's corporate investments. They’re making a real impact in communities across the state, creating thousands of permanent jobs.
“YIGBY” is a hot trend, but there are better uses for some faith-based organizations’ surplus real estate.
Homeowners are being squeezed out of affordable coverage. Sustainable intergovernmental partnerships with the insurance industry offer a solution. And there may be a role for state and local pension funds.
Urban interstate highways displaced hundreds of thousands of households, destroyed neighborhoods and enforced racial segregation, and they continue to harm low-income communities. We need to ameliorate this tragic history.
There are strong models for combating youthful disillusionment. San Francisco’s Youth Commission should be replicated across the country and a White House Office of Young Americans could address issues that affect everyone.
In the midst of a “skills tsunami,” agencies and their workers understand the problems better than central HR offices do. And workforce planning should focus on local labor markets.
The liberal/moderate/conservative labels we give ourselves reveal little about what Americans actually want out of policy and government. More progress can be made at the community level, where tribal labels are less relevant.
The concept of having most needs met within walking distance remains beguiling as an urbanist vision, but it hasn’t gotten very far in the U.S.
State and local economic development organizations can ease barriers to defense contracting for local businesses, benefiting both companies and communities.
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