It depends on the quality of the program and on what the children would be doing if they weren’t in care. Both political parties have failed to capture these nuances.
We’ve been trying for half a century to bring simple language to government communications, without much success. Speaking to people in language they understand is a high-return, low-cost investment.
Left-leaning mayoral winners are getting a lot of attention, but in a few cities business-friendly moderates are showing strength.
If abruptly changing federal policy becomes a recurring feature, state and local governments will need to adjust how they govern, not just how they budget.
What state legislatures do is important, but process matters just as much. Local governments determine whether reforms unlock housing or quietly stall.
Innovative programs make them safer while enhancing opportunities for success after release. Some states are showing the way.
It’s more important than ever for state and local governments to get strategic about managing federal grants. Without better capacity and coordination, they risk missing opportunities.
The most powerful climate policy in America isn’t in Washington. It’s buried in your town’s zoning code.
The nationwide shortage is leading to hundreds of criminal cases being dismissed while harming defendants. Better pay would help, but efforts to expand the pipeline are needed.
Sweeping state limits — or eliminating the tax altogether — are politically appealing. But cuts in property tax rates combined with targeted state tax relief are less disruptive to local finances.
The notion that we can assume people suffering from substance use disorders will freely choose what is best for them and their children is regularly undermined by reality. Too many children have paid the price.
A lot of cities have tried doing away with the fare box. Most of them have run into problems of one kind or another.
As long as Congress disregards the collateral damage that AI and other new technologies are already bringing to our economy, states and municipalities will need to move quickly to capture new revenues to support workers left behind.
Formerly incarcerated women have expertise that is policy-ready. We need to mandate including them on the bodies that shape jails, prisons, parole, sentencing and reentry.
This long-depressed city has overcome some of its most serious problems. Maybe others can accomplish the same thing.
Especially when it comes to data centers, it’s hard to square the costs to taxpayers with the benefits to states’ economies.
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