Distinguished author and editor Alan Ehrenhalt has chosen 40 articles that represent the best of what Governing has to offer: objective reporting about the issues that matter most, engaging writing by first-class journalists, and the ability to tell a good story while imparting important lessons about governance. With a focus on current controversies, hot policy debates, and recent political machinations, each reading comes from an issue published in the last two years. An ideal collection of applied case studies for public administration and management courses, this handy reader is especially useful for those instructors looking for more state and local coverage to supplement core texts.

This second edition continues to focus on key management functions such as personnel, performance, and leadership, as well as on the impact of changes in federalism, technology, and regulation. This edition also includes more policy coverage on crime, health, and education as well as other pressing concerns like homeland security and ethics in government.

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Introduction

STRUCTURE
1. Are City Councils a Relic of the Past?, Rob Gurwitt
2. Anatomy of a Merger, Alan Greenblatt
3. In Search of the Ideal Legislature, Alan Ehrenhalt
4. The Phantom of New York, Christopher Swope

MONEY
5. The Great GASB, Michele Mariani
6. Insufficient Funds, Dennis Farney
7. The Well That Dried Up, Anya Sostek
8. Risky Ventures, Christopher Swope

HUMAN RESOURCES
9. Worth the Money?, Jonathan Walters
10. Going Outside, Jonathan Walters
11. Payout Planning, Christopher Swope
12. Civil Service Tsunami, Jonathan Walters

TECHNOLOGY
13. The Dot-Bomb’s Silver Lining, Ellen Perlman
14. Legislators Who Get IT, Ellen Perlman
15. Dealing in Data, Ellen Perlman
16. Honey, I Shrunk the Deficit!, Christopher Conte

REGULATION
17. Trading for Clean Water, Tom Arrandale
18. The E-mail Mess, Ellen Perlman
19. Who’s Afraid of the DMV?, Jonathan Walters
20. Unscrambling the City, Christopher Swope

POLICY
Crime
21. Murder Mystery, John Buntin
22. Revising Sentences, Christopher Swope
Health
23. Deadly Strains, Christopher Conte
24. Maine’s Medical Gamble, Penelope Lemov
Education
25. The Left Behind Syndrome, Alan Greenblatt
26. Edge-ucation, Rob Gurwitt
Homeland Security
27. Politics and Promises, Christopher Logan
28. Breaking and Entering, Ellen Perlman

FEDERALISM
29. Enemies of the State, Alan Greenblatt
30. Made in Sacramento, Christopher Swope
31. Squeezing the Federal Turnip, Alan Greenblatt
32. HUD the Unlovable, Christopher Swope

ETHICS
33. The Avengers General, Alan Greenblatt
34. That Clean-All-Over Feeling, Alan Greenblatt
35. Addicted to Corruption, William Fulton and Paul Shigley
36. The Soft-Money Crackdown, Alan Greenblatt

LEADERSHIP
37. Sugar Daddy Government, John Buntin
38. How to Win Friends and Repair a City, Rob Gurwitt
39. Capital Gains, Jonathan Walters
40. Huge Turnover in Hard Times, Alan Greenblatt

"I highly recommend the second edition of Governing: Issues and Applications from the Front Lines of Government. The topics are timely, informative, and relevant to the policy and program decisions that students must learn to make. Because it is reader-friendly, instructors will find it easy to engage their classes in lively debates about the issues that arise in each reading."

"Not many textbooks deserve the label fun, but my students have been thoroughly engaged by Alan Ehrenhalt's stories of public servants on the frontlines of government management. In the best dramatic fashion, Governing: Issues and Applications from the Front Lines of Government features compelling accounts from across the nation's communities. This new edition offers a fresh approach to the study of state and local politics, policy, and administration. It combines classic case studies with the best coverage of emerging trends and issues. Its cutting edge approach engages students with vivid, unforgettable stories that truly present the excitement of public service. Many of my students are so captivated by this selection of articles that they independently want to learn more. The main strength of this book is its appeal for both seasoned public managers as well as those still contemplating a public service career. Topics are nicely arranged so instructors can easily organize their lesson plans."

"Governing: Issues and Applications from the Front Lines of Government by Alan Ehrenhalt does an outstanding job of illustrating practical applications of public administration issues. Ehrenhalt covers the most important topics in public administration today. This book would be an asset to a wide range of public administration courses -- in fact, I would recommend all PA students purchase it for their introductory course, and hang on to it throughout the duration of their curriculum."

Alan Ehrenhalt is executive editor of Governing magazine. Prior to joining Governing, his professional career included stints with the Associated Press, Washington Star, and Congressional Quarterly. He is the author of Democracy in the Mirror (1998), The Lost City (1995), and The United States of Ambition (1991). He served as editor of the first four editions (1982-88) of Politics in America, a biennial reference book profiling all 535 members of Congress and their districts. Mr. Ehrenhalt is a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors and has written frequently for the New York Times, The Washington Post Book World, and the New Republic. In 2000, he was the winner of the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams award for distinguished contributions to the field of political science by a journalist.