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From "Build Back Better" to "Inflation Reduction," Climate and Economics Package Soon Will Be Law
Congress has been busy in recent weeks passing a variety of bills, the biggest and most anticipated of which is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), formerly the Build Back Better initiative. To be voted on in the House later this week and signed by President Biden shortly thereafter, this significant package will advance two policy items: climate change goals and health care coverage.
Including a variety of mechanisms for both of these challenges, the IRA will enable residents across the country, and the cities and towns in which they live, to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, generate energy via wind and solar options, receive rebates or tax incentives to help pay for the manufacturing and infrastructure needed for these efforts and more.
It also will extend the health care subsidies from the American Rescue Plan Act so Americans, and particularly those from economically disadvantaged populations, can continue to afford health care, and enable Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices—of importance for the seniors Medicare supports. It also is predicted to reduce the deficit by around $300 billion over the next decade.
While the Senate made some last-minute adjustments that have disappointed city managers, mayors and other local policymakers—including removing housing subsidies and child care development assistance, and adjusting the SALT cap, to name a few—the bill is viewed as a significant advance in policy. Most notably, it addresses some of our country's biggest challenges and will have a far-reaching (positive) global impact.
The House is expected to vote on the bill on Friday. While changes are possible, they are unlikely as Congress heads toward its midterm break and voters head to the polls this fall.
If you are interested in reading more about this legislation, click on one of the below links for more details:
ASPA Searches for Next PAR Editor in Chief
ASPA has begun the search for the next Editor in Chief of Public Administration Review (PAR), its flagship professional journal. The new editor’s term will begin January 1, 2024, preceded by a six-month transition period.
Through the outstanding efforts of its editorial team, led by Editor in Chief Jeremy Hall of the University of Central Florida, PAR has achieved significant success in terms of its readership, impact and contributions to the study and practice of the field. It has earned the top ranking in Thomson Reuters' Journal Citation Reports five-year metrics, ranks No. 2 in its two-year metrics for 2021 (behind Policy and Society) and stands atop Google Scholar's Public Policy and Administration ranking for 2018-2021. It also has seen substantial increases in its downloads and other access metrics.
The Editor in Chief is one of ASPA's most visible public figures and ASPA is looking to the next editor to sustain and build on the record of accomplishment made in the past several years.
Please visit our website to review the Request for Proposals, search and selection timeline and other details about the process. You also may download the RFP here as a PDF.
We will be hosting a webinar next Thursday, August 18, to provide more details on the process and practical aspects of managing PAR on a daily basis. Including current Editor in Chief Jeremy Hall, Search Committee Chair Tina Nabatchi and ASPA Executive Director Bill Shields, this webinar will be incredibly helpful for those interested in submitting a proposal.
Proposals are due no later than Monday, October 31 to ASPA Chief of Communications, Marketing and Membership Karen Garrett. Contact her at 202-585-4313 with questions.
Please forward this message to your colleagues and networks that may be interested in this RFP.
E-Learning at Your Fingertips
ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Students and New Professionals series programming.
ASPA's webinars are on a summer break for the next few weeks, but our webinar archives are packed with content! Given this week's advancement of the Inflation Reduction Act, here are a few archived programs related to state and local financing:
KeepingCurrent: Disclosure of Tax Expenditure in State Budgeting
Tax expenditures are generally defined as foregone revenues resulting from legal provisions that provide preferential tax rates, exemptions, rebates and credits. The reporting practice of tax expenditures varies by state, with some not publishing or disclosing any information. There is a lack of consensus regarding tax expenditure definition and measurement. This webinar looked at a project that initiates a disclosure index of tax expenditures in state budgeting with an emphasis on reliability and comparability across jurisdictions.
KeepingCurrent: Implementing the $350 Billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund
In May 2021, states and localities across the country started receiving their first allocation from a $350 billion fund created by the American Rescue Plan Act. According to the U.S. Treasury, which is responsible for managing this program, this historic windfall is intended to “help turn the tide on the pandemic, address its economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.” There is substantial flexibility in how these funds can be used. This webinar discussed this program from the perspectives of each level of government involved in its implementation, with special attention to performance and accountability issues. (Recorded in October 2021.)
BookTalk: Public Performance Budgeting: Principles and Practice
Through thorough examination of performance budgeting laws in U.S. state governments, in-depth interviews with state agency practitioners and quantitative survey analysis of agency heads nationwide, this book examines the influence of performance measurement and management in all phases of the budget process. It examines using performance budgeting at the agency level, honing in on a deeper level of organizational structure than has been provided to date. Listen in to hear more from the authors. (Recorded in July 2020.)
BookTalk: City On The Line
In City On The Line, former Baltimore budget director Andrew Kleine asks why the way government does its most important job—deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars—has not changed in 100, maybe 1,000, years. Part memoir, part manifesto and part manual, this book tells the story of Baltimore’s radical departure from traditional budgeting to direct dollars to outcomes like better schools, safer streets and stronger neighborhoods.
Build ASPA's Future, Answer the Call
For more than 80 years, ASPA has owed its strength to our dedicated members. Our committed volunteer leadership plays a critical role in charting ASPA’s path: who we are, what we do and where we are headed.
This year's call for nominations is open through September 2! Please consider yourself and/or a fellow member for one or more leadership positions. This year, members will elect a president-elect (who will serve for two years before serving as ASPA president in 2025-2027), five district representatives, the international director and the student representative. All will serve on the National Council, our governing board, which is responsible for setting ASPA's policy direction, ensuring our financial and programmatic position and promoting ASPA within the broader public service community. Click here for more information about the National Council's responsibilities.
We seek nominees representative of the groups and professional interests within ASPA, balancing academic and practitioner, and including international, nonprofit and all levels of government.
In addition, the National Council has charged the 2022 Nominating Committee with presenting a slate of nominees diverse in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other important forms of diversity.
Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 2, 2022. Find more information on our website and start thinking about who you will nominate!
ASPA Center on Social Equity Now Online
In 2021, ASPA's National Council voted to establish a Center for Social Equity to focus the society's work related to social equity and provide a body of experts to speak on the subject and coordinate programming. Named after H. George Frederickson, this Center emphasizes the priority ASPA places on social equity as a core tenet of public administration.
The advisory committee working to launch the Center and begin its work is pleased to announce that its initial efforts are now posted on ASPA's website, including the committee's mission, terms and definitions, a list of committee members and some initial resources available for use, among others.
ASPA members and others in the community are encouraged to review the details posted and think about how you can get involved in supporting this important work. If you have any questions or would like to contribute, please contact the committee.
Advisory committee members include:
- Michael Massiah, Retired, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Co-Chair)
- Rosemary O'Leary, Retired, University of Kansas (Co-Chair)
- Abraham Benavides, Associate Professor, University of North Texas
- RaJade Berry-James, Senior Associate Dean, L. Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Brandi Blessett, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota
- David Frederickson, U.S. Department of Labor
- Susan Gooden, Dean, L. Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Mary Guy, Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado Denver
- Meredith Newman, Professor, Florida International University
- James Nordin, Retired, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Phin Xaypangna, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, County of Ventura California
In Memoriam: Fred Lane
Frederick S. Lane, professor emeritus of public affairs at Baruch CUNY, passed away on August 1 from complications due to pulmonary fibrosis. A Baruch faculty member from 1972-2008, he was a scholar, practitioner, teacher, mentor and friend.
Lane taught courses focused on the effective management of public, nonprofit and educational institutions; served as chair of the department of public administration and program director of the Executive Master of Public Administration program; created anthologies that are used in colleges and universities across the country; and left an indelible impact on the Marxe School's people and programs. He was awarded a special plaque to honor his service while attending the school’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2015.
Lane was an active ASPA member and a leading light in the New York Metropolitan Chapter and beyond. A member since 1978, he received the New York Metropolitan Chapter's Outstanding Academic award and was instrumental in establishing the Section on Nonprofits. He is remembered fondly by ASPA member Steve Rolandi:
"I was saddened to learn of Fred Lane's passing. My association with him goes back to 1983, when ASPA held its national conference in New York City and we worked together with others to host the conference. Fred was teaching at Baruch and I was a junior budget analyst at the city's Office of Management and Budget, as well as serving as treasurer of the New York Metropolitan Chapter. Fred had many roles in higher education, research and government. He also was a veteran, having served his country during the Vietnam conflict. Very active in ASPA at the national, regional and Chapter levels, he was honored by the Chapter as Outstanding Academic is 1984. I also was fortunate to work with him when I was an administrator at Baruch. He was the quintessential public servant. We have lost a giant. May he rest in peace and his memory be a blessing."
Lane taught courses in public administration and public policy. In the mid-1970s, he was staff director of the New York governor’s task force on higher education; in 1981-82, he was president of the New York State Political Science Association. His scholarly work includes two anthologies: Current Issues in Public Administration, 6th edition, which is used in colleges and universities across the country, and Managing State and Local Government.
He received the Golden Apple Award for excellence in writing about education from the New York State United Teachers for his 1983 article, “Higher Education and Public Policy in New York." His other publications include: “Organizational Analysis and Management Improvement,” in The Nonprofit Organization Handbook, 2nd edition and “Managing Not-for-Profit Organizations,” for which he won the Laverne Burchfield Award for the best book review essay in Public Administration Review in 1980. He also has been visiting professor of public and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, and visiting professor of public administration at the University of Vermont.
Lane is recognized for helping redefine the field of public administration to incorporate governmental and nonprofit organizations. In the mid-1970s, he started teaching what has been called the first graduate course in nonprofit management; what was novel at the time is now standard in the field. As nonprofit administration grew, he recognized that a Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management could play a critical role in supporting New York City.
Lane remained actively engaged in the Marxe School and Baruch College after retirement: He created and founded what the School offered as the “Great Leaders Program,” continued to work with the Center for Nonprofit Strategy and Management and was a consultant on the college’s last strategic plan. He continued to mentor his students, faculty and staff, often sharing articles or news of importance.
Lane leaves behind his wife, Madeleine; two sons, Rand and Cary; two granddaughters, Sabrina and Chloe; and numerous additional family members.
View a full obituary online here.
"Leading Through DEI" at the Price School
How has your leadership style evolved within the past year? What comes to mind when you reflect on your leadership approach? Looking ahead, how can you employ a leadership approach to effectively address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? This fall, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, Executive Education, in partnership with ASPA, will facilitate instruction and foster discussions around the following core principles:
- Self and Social Awareness and Management
- Cultural Humility
- Empathy
- Courage
The one-month program is designed for senior and emerging public service executives who are eager to develop and challenge their leadership values within the scope of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Click here for more information.
IBM Center Releases Health Equity Report
The IBM Center for The Business of Government has released a new report, "Using Data to Advance Racial Equity in Healthcare." From its website:
"As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, multiple studies and reports have documented that Black Americans and other people of color are at higher risk of adverse health outcomes.
Existing health disparities in the U.S. are heavily influenced by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, known as the social determinants of health (SDOH). Health outcomes also can be influenced by differential applications of emerging technology and differential effects of climate change.
Governments can use open data about the impact of the SDOH, technology and climate change to manage health care programs and services in ways that drive more equitable outcomes for patients and their families. Moreover, better and more available data, combined with the use of emerging technologies, can help illuminate the problem and support new solutions to address health risk and access in a way that reduces the potential for bias."
Click here or the link below to read more information and access the report.
Semiconductor Bill Signed into Law
Groundbreaking legislation opening up the United States to become a main manufacturing hub of semiconductors was signed into law by President Biden on Tuesday, August 9. (For those who don't know, semiconductors are those fun, essential parts of how lots of items conduct electricity. They are critical for everything from your smart phone to an electric vehicle to the electrical grid to your microwave and many things in between.)
The CHIPS Act will boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips, keeping the U.S. competitive with China (and yes, maybe helping you replace your car faster). Approximately four-fifths of global manufacturing of semiconductors happened in Asia in 2019 (thanks, Congressional Research Service!) and this new law will provide strategic assets to counter China's dominance in this field.
This was landmark legislation that will not only boost the United States' access to semiconductors but also provide leverage to bring some manufacturing back to the country. Micron and QualComm/GlobalFoundries have already committed to increasing their memory chip manufacturing through this legislation.
View more about the CHIPS Act online here.
Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; thanks, NPR, for the coverage!
Code for America Seeks Partners for Innovation Lab
Code for America, a 501(c)3 nonprofit civic technology organization, is seeking government partners for its Safety Net Innovation Lab. The Lab is a philanthropically supported multi-year initiative to partner with state, tribal nation, district and territory government agencies to improve the equity, accessibility and customer experience of safety net benefits programs. Code for America has previously launched GetCalFresh (a digital SNAP application assister), worked with Minnesota to build and handoff MNbenefits (an integrated benefits application) as well as designed text messaging pilots in Louisiana. Interested government agencies can reach out here.
Tips and Resources
Japan’s Secret to Taming the Coronavirus: Peer Pressure
The country has never mandated masks or vaccinations, but it’s evaded the worst of COVID, thanks to a fear of public shaming and the “self restraint police.”
Women Are Better at Statistics Than They Think
Female statistics students had higher final exam grades than their male peers, even though they had less confidence in their statistics abilities at the start of the semester.
Here’s What Muscle Memory Really Means, and How to Use It
It’s not a fitness myth: There really is such a thing as muscle memory, although it may not mean exactly what you think it does.
Bear Grylls on How to S-T-O-P Fighting Fear in Everyday Life
It's easy to think that a man who's scaled Mount Everest, weathered giant rapids in Zambia and survived by eating stingrays in Indonesia is fearless. But adventurer and survivalist Bear Grylls says nothing could be further from the truth.
In the News
Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!
Infrastructure
Public Finance
Public Service
Social Equity
Members in the News
ASPA members are in the news in a variety of ways. If you have been featured, please send a link to the article to us and we will be happy to include it in a future newsletter.
Trump Got Burned by a Major Mistake in His First Term. He Won’t Make It Again.
By Don Moynihan
A Missed Opportunity: The Problem with Ignoring Government Performance Information
By Shelley Metzenbaum
One Simple Fix Could Help Close the Federal Cyber Talent Gap
By Ron Sanders
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Around Public Administration
Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!
Upcoming Events:
Calls for proposals and other updates:
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2022 NECoPA Call for Proposals
The Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA) is intended to provide educational opportunities for scholars, practitioners and others interested in
public service in a collaborative environment by educating all on current issues, research and practice in public and nonprofit organizations. This conference will mark NECoPA’s 13th year of bringing together scholars and practitioners from the northeast region, the United States and internationally. This year's theme, "Public and Nonprofit Administration in a Hybrid-Connected 21st Century," recognizes that the events of the last two years accelerated the pace at which both our professional and personal lives have become intricately intertwined with technology, as we live and work in a hybrid—virtual and in-person—world. Public and nonprofit administration has been tasked with adapting and navigating public programs in this world to ensure they continue to be delivered in an effective, efficient, economical and equitable manner. The deadline for proposals has been extended; all proposals are now due by August 21, 2022. Click here to view the Call for Proposals.
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Truman National Security Project 2023 Call for Applications
Truman National Security Project is a vibrant, diverse, nationwide community of leaders leveraging the power of the Truman network to develop smart national security solutions that reinforce strong, just and effective American global leadership. The community includes more than 2,000 veterans, frontline civilians, policy experts, political professionals and their allies who share a common vision of U.S. leadership abroad. Members hail from 16 Chapters and 47 states across the nation. The organization believes America is at its best when it uses all the tools in the toolbox: diplomacy, defense, development and democracy promotion. Every year Truman National Security Project admits roughly 100-150 new members. All information relating to the application process, membership criteria and FAQ can be found on its website. All applications are due by August 22, 2022.
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2022 Cascade Chapter Student Symposium Call for Papers
Whether it’s local, state, federal or tribal, the United States governing systems are designed to promote democracy and community. In recognition of this, ASPA Cascade Chapter welcomes presentation proposals related to analyses and practical review of collaborative efforts between local, state, federal and tribal governments; tensions in promoting democracy or facilitating community in a local, tribal, state or federal context; a case study related to how local, state, federal or tribal government has positively engaged community or expanded democratic practices; and/or analyses, practical review or case studies with international comparative perspectives. Students whose papers are accepted and present at the Chapter’s fall event will receive an ASPA student membership and an invitation to present their paper at ASPA's 2023 Annual Conference. ASPA Cascade Chapter prioritizes submissions that align with the organization's guiding principles, which focus on social justice and racial equity. We encourage students of all majors and backgrounds to submit a paper proposal related to this theme. No prior presentation experience required. The deadline for paper submissions has been extended; all proposals now are due by August 24, 2022. Click here to view the Call for Proposals.
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Award for Public Service Call for Nominations
ASPA's Section on South Asian Public Administration (SASPA) is proud to announce a call for nominations for the 2023 Jai Mangal Paswan Award for Public Service. The award is named after Sh. Jai Mangal Paswan, chief engineer from the Indian Engineering Services, 1978 Batch, Government of India. Sh. Jai Mangal Paswan graduated with a B. Tech degree from Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology, Bihar and was the first engineer from his village, Sitamarhi, Bihar. He was a first generation officer from Sitamarhi district of Bihar, India and served as the deputy director general (coordination), Government of India. He pursued an MBA in Faculty of Management Studies (F.M.S), at the University of Delhi; he worked on the Intelligence Bureau Headquarters project by the Ministry of Home Affairs; he was involved with the Border Security Force, border fencing and lightening project in the Jaisalmer district; he served the Government of India for 38 years before retiring in 2016; and after his retirement, he served as a consultant for the National Institute of Technology, Delhi. During his life, he contributed immensely toward the development of society, guiding young officers and service aspirants. He was a tremendous source of inspiration for the people of his village and his family. This award is presented to honor the best paper submitted and presented at the ASPA Annual Conference in the field of public service in the South Asian region and carries a cash prize of $200.
PA TIMES Online
Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)
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