Maxwell School News and Commentary

“Pilots rely on a dashboard of instruments to tell them where they are, where they are going and how they are going to get there. Financial managers have their own cockpit with a dashboard of financial instruments. If they are working, they guide the manager to keep the government going in the direction set by the budget,” writes Minch Lewis, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs.

"Participatory Budgeting can be effective and yield important benefits, particularly when carried out in larger cities, and when the citizens can get involved in various ways," writes M.P.A. candidate Antonio Michel.

"Public participation in public health systems is one area in which Brazil has been particularly successful," writes Carol Tojeiro M.A. (IR/Econ). She highlights Brazil's diverse local health councils, comprised of citizens, health professionals, civil society members, and other actors from public and private entities, to serve as watchdogs over the health system.

With every little step, Girls at Dhabas encourages more and more women to claim their space in public. The continued existence of this collective speaks to a slow but steady change in Pakistan’s society," writes M.P.A. student Ansa Ali, about a grassroots collective of Pakistani women. 

"The magnitude of its potential is not measured by the variety and range of users that can profit from this website, but the impact produced by the tools derived from it. In the end, Participedia is a platform, and platforms, just like participation, always lead to higher places," writes M.P.A. student Antonio Michel.

"The lesson we can take from nature is that evolution is the key to the future of local government. Evolution in nature and in government is risky—the outcome is uncertain. But the outcome of a refusal to evolve is certain: extinction in nature and irrelevance in government," writes Minch Lewis, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs.

"Unfortunately, many plans have not made their Annually Required Contributions. Even if they had, many economists predict the required payments are not high enough," writes Minchin Lewis, adjunct professor of public administration and public affairs.