Exploring American Federalism: Using data from Significant Features
American federalism is more than the relationship between the federal government and the 50 states (and D.C.). Resolving America’s social
Federalism Matters
Policy debates surrounding the nature of federalism, representation and intergovernmental relations are as relevant today as they were at the
A Summary: From Pandemic to An Emerging Regional Local Agency Contract Exchange
Authors: Stephen A. Hamill (Academy Fellow), Jack Pellegrino, Sean Behan, and Gerald Plummer The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic represented the single
Strengthening the Election Workforce
Read Coleman's piece on the different actions individuals can take to bolster the election administration workforce. Last week, Barrett and
Do You Know Your Local Election Official Yet?
Written by Edie Goldenberg, Professor Emerita of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Michigan and Academy Fellow
The Case for Neurodiversity in the Workforce:
Addressing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps and Increasing Employment for Neurodistinct Employees ===================================================================================== Written by Jim Cook, CEO Red Maple Research LLC
Intergovernmental Partnership Is a Solid Strategy to Address Wicked Problems
By Nancy Augustine, Director, Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships In the 21st Century, no significant public problem fits entirely within one
Celebrating Disability Pride Month
Written By Teresa Thomas, Program Lead, Neurodiverse Talent Enablement at MITRE Every Summer in the United States, Disability Pride Month
Bringing Lessons from Autism IT Initiatives to Everyone
By Jonathan Paul Katz, Policy Advisor and Presidential Management Fellow, Office of Disability Employment Policy As an autistic adult who
Transforming the Infrastructure Workforce: Takeaways from a Center and National Academy of Construction Infrastructure Workforce Event
By Coleman Stallworth, Research Associate, Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships A robust infrastructure workforce is a key component in addressing 21st-century
State Innovations in Public Benefits Eligibility Determinations and Data Sharing
By Nancy Augustine, Director, Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships With the support of the Center for Accountability, Management, and Innovation (CAMI)
Why Congress should extend key COVID-19 flexibilities on programs like Medicaid, CHIP
By John Faso, Center for Accountability, Modernization and Innovation (CAMI), and Stan Soloway, CAMI and Academy Fellow Originally posted on
How Intergovernmental Partnerships Advance Defense Readiness through the Selective Service System
“This Agency is focused on readiness – while being fair and equitable in all that it does – as it
Connecting Individuals to Data-Driven Meaningful Work - Fall Meeting Recap #3
A convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and modern technology, followed by historically low unemployment numbers, created a new paradigm, a
Insights From the Editor: Recapping the Recent Grants Management Symposium on DEIA
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) are critical components of furthering a fair and just society. The Biden Administration has
Creating Meaningful Work Through Inclusive Workplaces - Fall Meeting Recap #2
If there is a singular benefit to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the disruption to the workplace status quo. No
Speakers Address the Role of Equity in Meaningful Work - Fall Meeting Recap #1
The Academy’s Grand Challenge of Connecting Individuals to Meaningful Work indicates that an individual’s work requires several elements to be
Fall Meeting 2022 - A Look Back on Creating Meaningful Work
Each year, the Academy comes together for its Fall Meeting, where speakers from the private and nonprofit sectors, academics, and
Demystifying the Public Procurement Supply Chain: Lessons from the Pandemic & Improvements for the Future
By Stephen A. Hamill (Academy Fellow) Supply chain challenges during the pandemic have become a focal point for Public Procurement
Parametric Insurance as an Intergovernmental Approach to Nature-Based Infrastructures
In 2019, stakeholders from state and local governments, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and the travel tourism industry of Quintana Roo, Mexico
The 5 A’s of Agile Government Performance and Tools for Adoption
By Shelley Metzenbaum, The BETTER Project and Academy Fellow, and Robert Shea, Grant Thornton LLP and Academy Fellow This post
Biden Administration Launches New Thriving Communities Program
At the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships, we seek to identify cross-agency collaborations that promote program assessment, design, and implementation for
Event Summary: Claiming Complexity - Solutions to Improve Take-Up and Administration of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit
On Monday, September 26, 2022, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a report which evaluated the administration and take-up of
Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships 1st Anniversary
One year after taking its first steps into the realm of intergovernmental activities, the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships is excited
Results for America Intergovernmental Programs and Resources
Recently, the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships worked with Results for America staff on a panel addressing effective intergovernmental collaboration. During
An Analysis of Intergovernmental Responses to COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine federalism in action. To better understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of
Talking Intergovernmental Partnerships at NACo's Annual Conference
A Recap of The Center’s Trip to Adams County, CO During a hot week in July, Colorado, the Center for
How Can Local Governments Shed More Light on Pandemic Relief Spending in Their Communities?
This article was originally authored by the PRAC and posted on June 29th following their virtual event that featured a
Biden and the Health Insurance Cliff: A Looming Intergovernmental Challenge
by Frank J. Thompson, Academy Fellow and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University Through legislative and executive initiatives, the Biden administration
What Is It Like to Receive Pandemic Relief Funding?
Many Americans struggle with the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
"Putting Assets to Work" Incubator Announced by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
A new initiative established under the leadership of former Mayor and Congressman Ben McAdams in partnership with the Sorenson Impact
Tapping Neurodiverse Tech Talent—A Roadmap for Federal Agencies
By Jim Cook, MITRE Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Our nation currently faces a cybersecurity and technology workforce
The Academy and the PRAC: Revisiting the First Three Pandemic Relief Spending Panels
Originally written by Brad Riley, former Academy Intern, and revised by James Higgins and Miles Murphy Since the onset of
A Summary of NASCA’s Day in D.C. with the Academy
On April 28th, the Academy was honored to help facilitate the National Association of State Chief Administrators’ “Day in D.C.”
Some Social Service Application Portals Vary Across States
The Academy’s Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships (the Center) recently looked at 12 states’ consumer front-end experiences for the Supplemental Nutrition
Academia Letters: Should We Use Public or Private Sector Approaches for Policy Change?
By: Beryl Radin, Georgetown University, Academy Fellow One of the constant themes in the policy and public management field is
Academy Working Group Offers Recommendations to Facilitate the Nation’s Response to the Next Pandemic
Report summarized by Kyle Romano, Academy Senior Research Associate The COVID-19 pandemic offers an unprecedented opportunity to examine federalism in
Higher Inflation, Will it Last?
Longer Than We Think By Mark Pisano – Academy Fellow and Co-Chair of the Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems Up
Intergovernmental Dimensions of Advancing the Economy, Health, & Social Equity
Academy Fall Meeting 2021 West Coast Region - November 2021 By Rich Callahan, Academy Fellow Ongoing discussions in Congress and
The Grand Challenge - Creating Modern Water Systems for Safe and Sustainable Use: The IIJA and Sustainability
By Stan Meiburg - Director, Graduate Studies in Sustainability at Wake Forest University and Academy Fellow The Infrastructure Investment and
Federalism.us - Features, Data, News, and Federalism 101
The National Academy of Public Administration’s Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems launched Federalism.us in July 2020 as a convening place
Who Will Build the Nation's Infrastructure?
By Henry Cisneros and Sarah Rosen Wartell, Academy Fellows. On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and
Investing in Workforce Development While Promoting Equity
On November 15th, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA is an investment in
COVID Relief Funding is the Largest Increase in Federal Grants to States
In a recent brief, The Pew Charitable Trusts examines trends in federal grants to states, finding that COVID relief funding
States Shore Up Child Care to Help Parents Get Back to Work
The pandemic and related economic disruptions have simultaneously fueled a labor shortage and a loss of jobs in the United
Machine Learning Can Save Lives and Mitigate Climate Change
By Scott Cameron, Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, former Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy
The President’s Advisor for Infrastructure Coordination Invites States to the Table
Earlier this month, White House Infrastructure Advisor Mitch Landrieu sent a letter to the nation’s governors, asking them to designate
Incentivizing Workers for the IIJA's Green and Renewable Infrastructure
The IIJA is a $1.2T bipartisan funding measure that, while not explicitly written to address climate change, contains funding for
Treasury Finalizes Rules for the Use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Treasury Finalizes Rules for the Use of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), part of the American Rescue Plan
State and Local Governments’ Dashboards Display Use of Pandemic Relief Funds
Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) have provided financial lifelines to state, local, tribal
The Expanded Child Tax Credit: Approaches to Reach the Hard to Reach
In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC). It increased the credit to
The Child Tax Credit Is an Effective But Under-Utilized Tool to Lift Families Out of Poverty
In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit. The four main changes are: raising the maximum
The Infrastructure Implementation Task Force Role in Coordinating Across Levels of Government
Academy Fellow G. Edward DeSeve recently wrote a piece for Government Executive, "We Should All Be Rooting for the Infrastructure
Introducing the housing policy matchmaker: A diagnostic tool for local officials
This is a repost from Brookings written by Jenny Schuetz, Tim Shaw, Katherine Lucas McKay, and Genevieve Melford. You can
The success of federal climate funding depends on local leadership
This post is a repost from Brookings and was originally written by Joseph W. Kane, Andrew Bourne, Adie Tomer, and
Three Ways Local Leaders Can Center Racial Equity and Inclusion in Economic Recovery
This is a repost written for Urban Institute, by Madeline Brown and Julia Payne. Access the original article here. The
If Government Leaders Aren’t Worried About Ransomware, They Should Be
This piece is a repost from GovExec and was written by Jim Richberg, the public sector field chief information security
Artificial Intelligence and Intergovernmental Relations – Connecting More than Dots
This piece was written by Dr. Alan R. Shark, Executive Director, CompTIA’s Public Technology Institute; Assistant Professor of the Schar
Strengthening Partnerships for Effective Federal Funds Disbursement
This post is originally from Bloomberg Philanthropies and was written by Adam Freed, Rose Gill, and Megan Sheekey. Please access
State resilience and recovery: Strategies to reduce inequality and promote prosperity by creating better places
This is a repost from the Brookings Institute, written by John D. Ratliff. Read the original article here. Download the
Equitable Climate Adaptation Requires Accounting for Disparities in Exposure and Resources
This is a repost from the Urban Institute's blog page, Urban Wire, written by Eric Burnstein and Amy Rogin. View
Broken Trust in our Democracy: What We Can and Must Do About It
The piece was written by Carolyn Lukensmeyer, the Founding Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse and a
Shifting Police Budgets: Lessons Learned from Three Communities
This is a repost article from the Urban Institute written by Libby Doyle and Leah Sakala. Access the PDF here
State of Emergency Management: What Needs to Change for Better Preparedness and Response
This piece was written by Brock Long and Steve Hagerty for Homeland Security Today. Access the original article here. The
How Communities Should Confront the Interconnected Challenges of Recovery and Equity
Mark Funkhouser is president of Funkhouser & Associates, LLC, an independent consulting firm and is also a NAPA Fellow. Communities
Criminal Justice in the US: A Three-tiered System of Governance
Marilyn Rubin is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University as
Nursing Homes and COVID-19: One State’s Experience
Beverly Cigler is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Public Policy and Administration at the Pennsylvania State University and an Academy
Are State Tax Cuts a Sign of Federal Aid Excess or Success?
This article was originally published on the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and can be accessed here. In March 2020, Arizona
Fighting COVID-19 in the United States with Federalism and Other Constitutional and Statutory Authority
This article is an excerpt from a piece originally published on Publius. The full version can be accessed here. Abstract
Policy makers: Don’t forget Implementation and Experimentation
This article was originally published in Academia and can be found here. Every few days or so the national press
Advice to Leaders on Strengthening Civic Culture & Trust in Government
This summer, the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences held four panel sessions
The Growing Threat to Trust in Local Government
This blog post was originally published on Governing.com. Access the article here. One of the hidden casualties of the pandemic
Turning Crisis into Opportunity: How to Optimize COVID-19 Response and Recovery Funding
Practical strategies for prioritizing use of federal funding streams Over the next few months, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT)
The White House Wants To Fight Climate Change And Help People. Cleveland Led The Way
This is an excerpt from an article written by Dan Charles for NPR. Read the entire article here for free
The Intersector: How the Public, Nonprofit, and Private Sectors Can Address America's Challenges
Below is an excerpt from the recently published book, The Intersector: How the Public, Nonprofit, and Private Sectors Can Address
To Increase Trust in Government, Reinvent the Local Government Budget
This blog post is a short excerpt from the State and Local Government Review. Access the rest of the article
Filling a Vacuum: Subnational Governance amid National Government Inaction
This blog post is a short excerpt from the State and Local Government Review. Access the rest of the article
Pragmatic Municipalism: U.S. Local Government Responses to Fiscal Stress
This blog post is a short excerpt from Public Administration Review (PAR). Access the rest of the article here. Abstract
Federal Grants Management: Improving Outcomes, Transparency, and Operational Quality
The text below is from the BETTER Project and can be found here. This work is a set of three
States and Localities Should Implement Equity Compliance Measures
Few republics in the history of human civilization have ever come so close and fallen so far from the ideal
Federalism in Action- Understanding the Intergovernmental Dimensions of the COVID-19 Response and Their Consequences
The response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in the USA’s ability to respond to
A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments
Note: This is an excerpt of the article, which was originally published in the State and Local Government Review. The
Towards a New Federalism: Retrofitting Our Structures for the Public Good
Federalism is integral to our democracy. Our decentralized governance system—distributed across multiple layers of government—stands like a building always under
Ripe for Innovation: Alternative Service Delivery in Local Government
COVID-19 has fundamentally shifted the way local governments have approached service delivery, likely creating impacts that will endure long after
American Federalism and the Environment
To a degree unprecedented in recent American history, the environment, especially but not limited to climate change, has moved to
An Essential Ingredient for Getting Infrastructure Done: A Little Pork-Barrel Spending
DONALD F. KETTL, APRIL 1, 2021 It’s been a decade since earmarks in congressional appropriations were mostly ended. A little
Improving the Federal Grants Process: The Role of the New Grants Quality Service Management Office
In a typical year, the federal government provides over $700 billion in grants to other levels of government, educational institutions
Two Models for Successful Intergovernmental Data Sharing
The COVID-19 crisis has drawn increased attention to government data, and to the ability to quickly link important data sets
Women Gain Record Power in State Legislatures
Nevada state Sen. Pat Spearman, a Democrat and chief majority whip, successfully shepherded legislation in 2020 requiring pharmacists to honor
Federal COVID-19 Pandemic Response Illustrates Need for Better State and Local Financial Data
The debate over COVID-19 aid for state and local government revealed a broad range of opinions that were only partially
The Coronavirus Relief Fund: A Review of Federal Fiscal Assistance and of Innovative County Response Strategies
As America’s counties prepare for a historic federal investment to help mitigate the virus and aid the nation’s economic recovery
Giving or Getting? What is each state’s balance of payments with the federal government?
The federal government spends trillions of dollars each fiscal year, affecting the lives of all Americans. This spending and the
A GREAT Opportunity for Greater Government Fiscal Transparency
A recently enacted federal law, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency Act, offers a unique opportunity for Americans to
City Limits: What Do Local-Area Minimum Wages Do?
To date, 42 cities in the United States have instituted minimum wages above the state or federal level. Of these
Measuring educational opportunity in every community in America
The educational opportunities available in a community, both in and out of school, are reflected in students’ average test scores
What is the role of state and local government employment in the post-COVID recovery?
State and local governments are a major piece of the U.S. economy, accounting for about 13% of all employment. However
3 Keys to Getting the Federalism Conversation Going Again
DONALD F. KETTL, OCTOBER 15, 2020 The crippled response to COVID-19 is just one example of why we need to
How States Provide Cities with General Revenue: An Analysis of Unrestricted State Aid
Municipal governments in the United States generate revenues from their own sources (their authority to charge for services and collect
National League of Cities: City Fiscal Conditions 2020
In the mid-1970s, the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress (JEC) commissioned biennial reports to inform Congress about the
Presidential Elections 101: American Federalism and the Electoral College
One of the unique features of American federalism is the manner in which the President and Vice President are elected
Election Administration at State and Local Levels
The U.S. is characterized by a highly decentralized election administration system. The entities that do the rubber-meets-the-road functions of running
How underpaid are teachers in your state?
Depending on the state, teachers make between 2.0% and 32.7% less than other comparable college-educated workers Swift herself directed a
A Forum for Federalism That’s Sorely Missed
DONALD F. KETTL, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 A tiny agency did important work on our intergovernmental system for decades. It's unlikely
American Federalism 2019-20: Polarized and Punitive Intergovernmental Relations
Federalism scholars have long been interested in the degree of collaboration or adversarialism that characterizes relationships between central and subnational
Visualizing the Economic and Fiscal Geography of the United States
Jamie Boex and Mackenzie Maschka (August 17, 2020) In pursuit of the ideal to form a more perfect Union, there
State and Local Governments Face Large Budget Shortfalls Due to COVID-19
COVID-19 has triggered a severe state budget crisis. While the full magnitude of this crisis is not yet clear, state
Do Needs‐Based Grants Improve Local Transit Performance?
Needs‐based grant programs are intergovernmental fiscal transfer systems that tie grant dollars to the needs of the grantees as determined
Youth Enfranchisement, Political Responsiveness, and Education Expenditure
A recent study published in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy examines the link between the political participation of the
An Economic Geography of the United States: From Commutes to Megaregions
For numerous reasons, ranging from the widening scale of labor markets to the integration of capital flows, many observers have
Bridging the Urban–Rural Divide
In recent years, newspaper headlines and commentators have bemoaned a growing “urban–rural divide,” characterized by stark differences in political and
Principles of Home Rule for the 21st Century
Cities, counties, and towns are on the front lines of America’s most pressing problems. Local governments today are responsible for
Reinventing American Democracy For The 21st Century
A healthy constitutional democracy depends on a virtuous cycle in which responsive political institutions foster a healthy civic culture of
The fiscal health of state and local governments across the nation
What's the latest thinking regarding the fiscal health of state and local governments across the nation? Overview. The 2019 update
How do partisan views and ideology relate to Americans' support for decentralization?
A research study published in the latest issue of Public Administration Review analyzes Americans’ preferences for making policy at the
The Significant Features data book is a work in progress...
It has been almost 25 years since the last Significant Features data book was published in 1996. Our ambition is
State Fiscal Briefs (2020)
National recessions and federal tax and spending changes can affect budgets in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
How High are State and Local Tax Collections in Your State?
The latest state tax map prepared by the Tax Foundation shows state and local tax collections per capita in each
An overview of federal, state and local expenditures
The United States is a federal country with a decentralized, multi-level public sector. As such, while the federal government has
A feud over local taxes turns into a referendum on government itself
For more than a year, the residents of Amelia, just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, have been consumed by a fiery debate
2017 State & Local Government Finance Tables Released by Census Bureau
The Census of Governments identifies the scope and nature of the nation's state and local government sector; provides authoritative benchmark
When can (or should) a state government remove a locally elected official?
According to the U.S. Constitution, neither the President nor Congress have the power to remove a state governor or state
Burlington Moves Toward Letting Non-Citizen Residents Vote in Local Elections
Voters in Burlington, Vermont could soon determine whether refugees and permanent residents who aren’t citizens will be allowed to cast
Intergovernmental relations in the United States: one federal government, 50 states, and 90,075 local governments
The Census of Governments occurs every 5 years, covering all active state and local government units in the U.S. The
Alice Rivlin Made State and Local Governments Better, Too
Alice Rivlin, who passed away earlier this month, was best known as a federal policy trailblazer — inaugural director of
Are women politically represented at the local level in the United States?
Jamie Boex and Sonja Walti While the number of women elected to the U.S. Congress and state assemblies is on
Localism can only flourish with effective federal and state governments
Cities are the right frame for tackling many of our most important problems, from concentrated poverty to housing affordability, from
Why midsized metro areas deserve our attention
Over the past few years, new research and major political and business events have combined to make Americans more attentive
Which States Have Most Fragmented Local Governments?
Government fragmentation has long been torn between two competing interests. On one hand, many officials argue consolidation boosts efficiency and
When Local Sheriffs Won't Enforce The Law
Last fall, voters in Washington state approved a package of firearms restrictions, generally called I-1639. It raises the minimum age
The new localism
Power is shifting in the world: downward from national governments and states to cities and metropolitan communities; horizontally from the
Is democracy the problem?
The U.S. political system is beset by a high degree of polarization and a low sense of common purpose. Should
Local Elections and the Politics of Small-Scale Democracy
Local government is the hidden leviathan of American politics: it accounts for nearly a tenth of gross domestic product, it
Democratic representation at the county level: new evidence
It is difficult to conceptually measure the degree of “local democracy” in any state or country. It is even harder
Birmingham scores a win against state preemption
A federal appeals court handed workers in Birmingham, Alabama, a significant win this week as the city is in a
Elected Sheriffs and the Need for Reform in County Law Enforcement
Most state constitutions require that counties have an elected sheriff who serves as the county’s chief law enforcement officer. The
Ensuring better and more responsive decision making in California
California is too large to be governed effectively and that splitting it up would result in "better decision making and
The Partisan Composition of County Legislatures and County Fiscal Policies
County governments are a crucial component of the fabric of American democracy. Yet there has been almost no previous research
The State of Local Democracy in the United States: An Exploration
How would you measure the state of local democracy across the U.S.? Are local governments in some states more representative
Latinos Are Bringing A Growing Number Of Voting Rights Cases
When talking about voting rights cases, the news media often talks about the big cases that involve gerrymandering, voter identification
Overlapping Jurisdictions: The Challenge of Tax Incentives in Major Metropolitan Areas
The tax structure of metropolitan counties in the United States is increasingly complex. First, local governments are expected to provide
The Problem of African American Underrepresentation in City Councils
The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri brought to light a set of racial injustices in the lived
Minority Representation in Local Government and Distributional Outcomes
We explore the impacts of minority representation in local governments on distributional outcomes throughout the cities that they govern. In
Fair Representation in Local Government
This article focuses on my work in Illinois to use the Voting Rights Act (VRA) to improve minority representation at
Black Representation: Making Sense of Electoral Geography at Different Levels of Government
The number of minorities serving in legislatures, councils, and governing boards varies greatly across regions of the country and across
Reclaiming our local democracy: City rights in an era of preemption
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, the city is not permitted to extend its municipal broadband service to woefully underserved rural neighbors, despite
Why millennials don’t vote for mayor
Voter turnout in the 2014 midterm elections (36.3 percent) was the lowest it’s been since World War II. Turnout for
In the U.S., Almost No One Votes in Local Elections
Fewer than one in five eligible residents in Los Angeles vote in mayoral elections. In New York City, that figure
National survey shows voters eager for key electoral reforms
At a briefing on Capitol Hill yesterday, the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation presented new public opinion data
Just how many elected officials are there in the United States?
Just how many elected officials are there in the United States in total? It's an easy question to start answering—you
How democratic are local governments in the United States?
Even though decentralization reforms are something commonly associated with developing and transition countries, even industrialized countries with a long tradition
How democratic are county-level governments in the Commonwealth of Virginia?
Three famous Virginians— James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Mason—were leading voices in the drafting of the United States Constitution
How democratic are county governments in the State of Maryland?
Although Americans are more sharply divided along political lines than ever, most Americans agree on the bedrock principles of the