A New and Reinvigorated Research Agenda for U.S. Local Governments

This essay offers a perspective on a new and reinvigorated research agenda for the study of U.S. local governments. It reports on the ideas and reflections of a set of local government scholars with different vantage points and varied substantive interests. Seven paramount themes or directions for a research agenda were identified, all of which contain numerous threads and thrusts: local government finance and economic development, local government management, intergovernmental relations, collaboration, public engagement, social equity, and institutional design. The essay offers some reasons for optimism about the future of U.S. local governments while also identifying cause for concern.

Roback Scholarship and Brownlow Book Award Nominations

Nominations are open for the Roback Scholarship and the Brownlow Book Award. The deadline for both nominations is May 31, 2021. Send all information to Kaitlyn Blume, Director of Fellow Engagement. Check out the award sites for more information on criteria and instructions on how to nominate.

Meet Our Fellows: Kay Ely ('19)

My father was a civil servant for most of his career. He worked over 30 years with the Small Business Administration in Little Rock, Arkansas. When I was growing up, the stories he told at the dinner table every night about how the agency helped small businesses get started and also provided assistance during disasters was my inspiration. The concept of providing needed services to the public intrigued me. It was only natural that I chose a career as a public servant and followed in his footsteps.