Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
Big-city mayors are taking a wide range of approaches to interactions with the Trump administration.
People outside of government aren’t the only ones who could benefit from a better understanding of election processes.
After polling close to Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the Republican’s 13-point loss stunned party insiders — who now blame Trump’s shutdown, mixed messaging and a campaign that failed to reach beyond its base.
The issues that drove the winning campaigns reflected a mix of local and national concerns, and the results pointed to divergent, sometimes contradictory, priorities for big-city voters.
After generations in supporting roles, Black women are now leading some of America’s largest cities and reshaping how cities confront challenges from housing to public safety.
The media and politicians focus on which party is winning or losing congressional seats. But moving 20 million Americans into new districts mid-decade will represent a major tear in the fabric of representative democracy.
Results in New Jersey, Virginia and key ballot measures highlight voter unrest with the status quo — and raise new questions about Republican momentum heading into 2026.
Abigail Spanberger’s comfortable win in the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, and Mikie Sherrill’s in New Jersey, gave Democrats their biggest electoral triumphs since Trump’s return to power.
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams is one of the few public officials who's found a way to address both election security and ballot access concerns.
Sherrill’s decisive victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli keeps the governor’s mansion blue for a third straight term, fueled by suburban voters and anti-Trump momentum.
A 21st-century president and a revolutionary-era rascal have something in common: the Insurrection Act.
City Council President Mary Sheffield holds a commanding lead in the race to succeed Mayor Mike Duggan, signaling a milestone moment for women — and Black women — in Michigan politics.
Holding city council meetings downtown during weekday business hours makes them inaccessible to too many residents. To open up civic participation, local governments should rethink their scheduling and make the most of electronic tools.
Actors in and out of government continue to cast doubt on election integrity. What makes accusations stick, and what can states do about them?
Community organizer Katie Wilson challenges Mayor Bruce Harrell with proposals to tax vacant properties, high earners, and large firms — a referendum on how far Seattle is willing to go to close its budget gap without driving employers away.
The shutdown has caused flight delays across the country. But some rural areas are at risk of losing flight service altogether.
It’s likely the result of confusion about how questions are asked. In reality, people almost universally condemn it.
What’s happened in Wyoming illustrates how closed primary elections shut too many voters out of the electoral process, intensify political polarization and raise important questions about funding these elections.
Republican lieutenant governor candidate John Reid staged a YouTube “debate” with an AI-generated version of his opponent, spotlighting the growing role—and risk—of deepfakes in campaigns.
Several Democratic governors have threatened to leave the National Governors Association, a 117-year old bipartisan group, amid tensions over the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic cities.
The life of the former Atlanta mayor, congressman and U.N. ambassador hasn’t been without its contradictions, but today’s leaders can learn a lot from his decades of courageous leadership.
Sandy Stimpson is retiring as mayor of Mobile, Ala., after 12 years. He has helped stabilize the city’s finances and coordinate major infrastructure and economic development projects.
The state remains the only one in the nation where governors are explicitly barred from vetoing electoral maps — a legacy of 1990s reforms and now shaping partisan battles.
A new law in New Jersey requires cities to plan for a share of the state’s housing needs. The Republican candidate for governor is tapping into local frustration about it.
As Trump’s influence looms large over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, the outcomes may determine who leads the Republican Party into the post-2028 era.
States and localities rely on the regularity and reliability of federal data. Disrupting it undermines everything from pensions to budgets and threatens public trust in government.
State and local governments are considering how they can help federal workers and how long they can afford to continue social safety net programs and infrastructure projects.
People get the kind of politics they demand, if not what they deserve.
Democratic Attorney General William Tong has earned bipartisan admiration from his peers even as he takes on the Trump administration and major corporate interests.
A new national study finds that people believe state and local governments can make their communities better — and they want to help.
A look back at nearly 150 years of deployments shows the guard responding to labor strikes, riots, protests and pandemics, but never under federal orders.
