Governance
Below are recent studies, reports, magazine articles, and other resources that MRSC has collected regarding local governance issues.
All links go to external websites. Please note that these links were valid at the time of their original posting, but because websites and addresses may change, we cannot guarantee that all links still work.
County Officials Face Threats Amid Divisiveness (February 18, 2021)
County leaders are facing pressure and threats to their safety they had never imagined in their line of work. More from NACo's County News.
Four Goals to Realize a Commitment to Equity (February 4, 2021)
Normalize, organize, operationalize, and assess. More from ICMA Blog.
The State of Local Government in the Pandemic Era: Read the Survey Results (December 24, 2020)
The local government survey of U.S. cities and counties reveals trends around COVID, remote work and digital infrastructure investments. More from Governing.
Tackling the Legacy of Persistent Urban Inequality and Concentrated Poverty (December 23, 2020)
Over the past several years, the research literature pointing to the relationship between racial segregation, enduring concentrated poverty, and long-term socioeconomic inequalities in the United States has been rapidly growing. More from Brookings.
New Ballot Initiatives Impact Cities (December 8, 2020)
While much remains to be seen on how the next four years of federal leadership will impact America’s cities and towns, it is clear there is a growing movement for better transportation, higher wages, police reform, and drug decriminalization, at least in state and local ballot initiatives. More from NLC's Cities Speak.
Election Day Spotlight Falls on County Polling Places (November 19, 2020)
In an election held during a pandemic and already charged with enthusiasm, county election departments around the country went the extra mile to maintain a sense of calm, reliability and a little levity in the face of an election that had many on edge. More from NACo's County News.
Here Are the Local Ballot Measures That Passed and Failed (November 17, 2020)
County and state referenda this election year included spending and policy questions on drugs, abortion, taxes and transportation. More from Bloomberg CityLab.
COVID-19 Pandemic Shines a Light on the Need for Strong State-Local Partnerships (November 10, 2020)
Strong state-local relationship built over many years a true difference maker. More from ICMA Blog.
5 Leadership Lessons from the Coronavirus Pandemic (November 6, 2020)
How city and county managers addressed the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and what strategies were most effective. More from ICMA Blog.
How Local Governments Can Get Feedback From a More Diverse Range of Residents (September 23, 2020)
Participation in local government often skews heavily toward white residents, elderly people, and homeowners. More from Route Fifty.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission Releases New Resources to Support Local Elections Officials (September 17, 2020)
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recently released a newsletter that includes resources to support local elections officials as they work to prepare for the 2020 presidential election while also addressing new challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. More from NACo's County News.
What Covid Teaches Us About Community (August 6, 2020)
This blog post is the first of a series exploring the role that community resilience can play both in bouncing back from COVID-19 and in reshaping governance for the future. More from The IBM Center for the Business of Government.
COVID-19 Proves the Essential Nature of Government (June 16, 2020)
The adjustment to life in a pandemic has not been easy, but it has shown that public-sector work is not only vital, but also flexible, and that IT has a critical role to play in ensuring organizational resilience. More from Government Technology.
The Future of Remote Public Meetings Rests with Good Policy (June 15, 2020)
Before COVID-19, many governments wouldn't dream of having remote proceedings. That reality has changed. What guardrails should be in place to prevent abuse of tech-driven meetings? More from Government Technology.
Rheostat Government: Replacing the On/Off Switch with a Dimmer (April 22, 2020)
When the coronavirus pandemic begins to subside, communities should use a nuanced, calibrated approach to allowing businesses to reopen and residents to return to work and school. More from Governing.
How Social Media Is Elevating Engagement for Local Government (March 3, 2020)
It's being used in increasingly powerful ways to enhance communications in hundreds of communities, helping to create trust, facilitate transparency, address residents' concerns and solve problems. More from Governing.