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U.S. Supreme Court Allows Government RIFs to Continue
In the latest of a series of Trump administration victories at the bench, the U.S. Supreme Court—while not ruling on the merits of the case—is allowing federal agencies to move forward with workforce reductions. The ruling lifts a lower court order that has blocked mass layoffs since early May. While only temporary while the rest of the case moves through the court system, the Court's July 8 ruling enables agency heads to resize their workforces as they see fit and—in the case of some—potentially dismantle them. This case was submitted as an emergency application so the ruling is unsigned and does not include a vote count.
Per Federal News Network, among the agencies affected by the order are the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, the Interior, State, the Treasury and Veterans Affairs. It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Association, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.
You can find coverage of this decision online via The New York Times, The Washington Post, GovExec (free) and Federal News Network (free), among others.
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 Student and New Professional series programming.
KeepingCurrent: The Role of Local and State Governments in Protecting Public Health
July 15 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by ASPA's Section on Health and Human Services Administration (SHHSA)
Speakers:
Swannie Jett, Park DuValle Community Health Center, Louisville, KY
Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, Moderator, Dean and Professor, University of Washington Bothell
William Pilkington, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University
State and local governments are responsible for safeguarding public health, playing an important and vast role monitoring disease surveillance and prevention, developing and enforcing policies and regulations, and responding to health crises while providing essential services. This panel will discuss critical issues warranting attention at the state and local level while exploring collaborative efforts and innovative solutions in a rapidly changing climate.
BookTalk: The Assault on the State
July 24 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Speakers:
Stephen Hanson, Lettie Pate Evans Professor, The College of William & Mary
Jeffrey Kopstein, Dean's Professor of Political Science, University of California Irvine
What if the state as we know it didn’t exist? Our air would be poisonous, our votes uncounted and our markets dysfunctional. Yet across the world, in countries as diverse as Hungary, Israel, United Kingdom and the United States, attacks on the modern state and its workforce are intensifying. In The Assault on the State, Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein offer an impassioned plea to defend modern government against those who seek to destroy it. They dissect the attack on the machinery of government from its origins in post-Soviet Russia to the core powers of Western democracy. The dangers of state erosion imperil every aspect of our lives. Hanson and Kopstein outline a strategy that can reverse this destructive trend before humanity is plunged back into the pathological personalistic politics of premodern times.
KeepingCurrent: Use of Evidence in the Budget Submission Process
July 31 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance
Speakers:
Haley Kadish, Moderator, Associate Director, Local Practice, Results for America
More information coming soon!
KeepingCurrent: Alternative and Innovative Audit Processes
August 12 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance
More information coming soon.
From the Archives
BookTalk: The Overlooked Pillar
This BookTalk offered an original perspective on the sustainable-development discourse, emphasizing the importance of culture and cultural institutions in facilitating societal sustainability goals, conceptualizing sustainability as an institutional logic that develops in organizations and is enacted by managers who make decisions and engage in sustainable thinking on a daily basis. Listen to this discussion in our archives! (Members only)
Students and New Professionals: Building a Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship
This webinar offered useful information to students and new professionals for developing effective mentor-mentee relationships. Our speakers provided tips for becoming an effective mentor, navigating the challenges to a successful mentor-mentee relationship, identifying effective mentor-mentee relationship, approaching potential mentors, lacking defined roles or clear goals/objectives and effective time management for both parties. (Members only)
In Memoriam: Patricia Ingraham
Patricia (Wallace) Ingraham died on June 22, 2025, at the University of Washington Hospital in Seattle at the age of 83.
An ASPA member for almost 30 years, she was active in the Central New York Chapter, the Section on Personnel and Labor Relations and the Section on Public Administration Research. She served on numerous national ASPA committees, including PAR editor search committees, and won several ASPA awards including the Charles H. Levine Memorial Award for Excellence in Public Administration (1996), the Paul Van Riper Award for Excellence and Service (2005) and the Dwight Waldo Award (2011).
Born in 1942, she grew up in North Dakota and graduated from Macalester College in 1964. She received her Master of Political Science from Michigan State in 1965 and her Ph.D. in political science and public policy from Binghamton University in 1979. After receiving her degree from Michigan State, she worked for the North Carolina Fund (a precursor to Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty). While there, she met her future husband, Charles, on a blind date and they were married six months later.
The couple moved to Binghamton, where Ingraham worked at the Model Cities Program. After moving to Washington, DC in 1970, she worked at the U.S. Department of Education. After returning to Binghamton in 1973, she worked at the Valley Development Foundation and became the Commissioner of Planning for Broome County.
After receiving her Ph.D., most of her teaching career was centered on public policy and the merit system of public administration. She taught for many years at The Maxwell School at Syracuse University, where she was named a distinguished professor (the first woman so honored). She also directed the Alan Campbell Institute at Syracuse, where she established her reputation as a national expert and leading scholar in public policy. She also taught at Binghamton University (BU) for several years and became the founding dean of the College of Community and Public Affairs at BU for seven years before her retirement.
"Pat hired me into my first academic job," remembers ASPA President John Bartle. "She was warm and kind, but also smart as a whip and politically astute. She was both a scholar and a leader in higher education. She was a committed pracademic who made the world around her and her community better."
A prolific author, Ingraham's book The Foundation of Merit is still being used by college professors around the country and world. She authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, including an article that was selected as one of the 50 most influential articles in the history of Public Administration Review. She also co-edited several books which featured chapters from the most distinguished practitioners of public policy.
But Ingraham was more than an academic. Famous for her hospitality, she was an excellent gourmet cook who delighted friends and family alike. She did all this despite battling painful and severe arthritis. She was always an optimist and always positive. She was deeply loved by her family, her numerous friends, her students and her colleagues. She truly was one of a kind.
"Pat Ingraham shaped generations of scholars with her brilliant mind and her endless kindness and encouragement," remembers Jessica Sowa (University of Delaware). "Her drive to help public organizations perform better and support civil servants definitely changed how I view the field and her mentorship as a female leader at a time when there were few is unmatched. Her work—and most importantly her memory—will remain an incredible blessing to public administration as a field."
Ingraham is survived by her husband of more than 56 years, Charles O. Ingraham, their two daughters (Erin Leff and Molly Wallace) and two grandchildren (Adelaide Leff and Owen Wallace). She also is survived by two brothers, Michael Wallace of Ellendale, ND and Timothy Wallace of Alliance, Nebraska. She was predeceased by her parents (Reese and Lucille Wallace), and her beloved sister (Kathleen Wallace Podoll).
You can find her official obituary online here.
New Member Orientation Recording Available
ASPA held a New Member Orientation recently; the recording is available on our website for those who missed it. This hour-long tutorial included:
- A brief history of ASPA and a look at who our members are and where you fit into the mix
- The member-exclusive resources you can access at any time
- An overview of the ASPA website so you know where everything lives
- Ways to network and get involved throughout the organization
- Chapter and Section highlights
- Webinars, awards and student programming
Access the recording any time. We will hold our next live orientation toward the end of the year.
2025 Annual Conference Photos Posted
ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference photo library is online! Screen-resolution photos are available via our Flickr account, no password required. Featuring session photos, networking, awards, step-n-repeat shots and more, the photo stream provides a great brain break! Check out all the fun we had this spring and grab your copies as needed.
If you'd like a print-ready copy, contact us and we'll send it to you.
ASPA Members: Routledge Discounts Available
Summer is here, which means it's time to update your reading list and add new books to your collection! If you find yourself interested in something from the Routledge catalog, remember that ASPA members receive a 30 percent discount off purchases.
Visit our website for more information about ASPA's partnership with Routledge and to access your code, useable when you check out from the Routledge site. And, remember to look at the ASPA book series, partnering with authors for all things "public administration." From HR to government performance to local government and beyond, the list of titles has something for everyone!
Happy reading!
Trans-Atlantic Dialogue Takes Place This August!
The EGPA 2025 Conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, August 26-29, in association with the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy and the Glasgow Convention Bureau.
The EGPA Conference is the annual meeting of the multi-disciplinary community of Public Administration academics, researchers, and practitioners in Europe, also joined by colleagues from the IIAS network. The Conference is organized around several activities: plenary sessions, dedicated seminars (PhD symposium, French-speaking seminar, and thematic ones), panels arranged by 23 EGPA Permanent Study Groups, and side meetings (EAPAA meetings for accreditation, EGPA Steering Committee Meeting, Meeting of the Permanent Study Groups co-chairs and collaborative projects’ meetings).
It is well-established that the integrity of democratic forms of government internationally are being challenged by a variety of sources. These include the spread of disinformation and the associated erosion of trust in public institutions; the transnational nature of global threats such as the climate and biodiversity crises; the need to better engage and represent citizens in increasingly diverse societies; the spread of nativist politics and of course the challenges wrought by digital technologies on democratic processes. Within public administration research questions are being raised about the fragility of states or even the prospect of failing states due to this heightened turbulence.
In order to explore these issues, for this year’s Trans-Atlantic Dialogue we seek to address these changes as they manifest in four domains:
- How to rethink the role of bureaucracies in the 21st century and their relationship to politics, society and the economy, particularly given changing political-administrative relationships or ‘bargains’
- How to design new national and international public institutions to tackle the political and societal challenges of today, including new technological developments such as AI
- How to support and reaffirm democratic values within public administrations
- How best can administrative systems represent future generations and promote wellbeing in their current decision-making
Those registering for the conference can do so before August 27.
JSEPA 3:2 Is Out
The most recent edition of the Journal of Social Equity in Public Administration (JSEPA) has been released. Volume 3, issue 2 includes research and reviews from an array of scholars covering topics such as K-12 education, police-youth programming, equitable service delivery and more. JSEPA is open access; please share articles with your colleagues, students and social media followers.
National Civic League Announces 2025 All-America Cities
The National Civic League has announced the 2025 All-America City Award recipients. Ten communities were recognized for their transformative, community-driven efforts to strengthen environmental sustainability and for their civic infrastructure—the network of relationships, partnerships and capacities driving effective decision-making and problem-solving.
Finalist communities recently convened in Denver to present their stories and initiatives to a jury of nationally recognized civic leaders. Teams represented a broad spectrum of society, including high school students, older adults, city managers, business leaders, police officers, faith leaders and elected officials. This impressive diversity spanned ages, cultural backgrounds, and political beliefs. Presentations were dynamic and creative, featuring skits, music, spoken word, dance and compelling personal stories. Initiatives covered a wide range of critical issues, such as green jobs, sustainable transportation, resilient infrastructure, heat mitigation, recycling and beautification, pollution reduction, disaster preparedness and recovery, environmental justice, shore restoration and more. After careful deliberation, the jury selected the winning communities, listed below, that exemplify the spirit of collaboration and civic responsibility necessary to safeguard our planet for future generations.
The winning cities are:
- Akron, Ohio
- Carrboro, North Carolina
- Chelsea, Massachusetts
- Hampton, Virginia
- Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Kinston, North Carolina
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Seattle, Washington
- Tallahassee, Florida
Policy Pathways Launches "Uncounted"
Policy Pathways, a nonprofit based in Richmond, Virginia, launched "Uncounted,"" the country's first civilian-led and civilian-reported national database to document in-custody deaths across the United States last month. This initiative was created to address the number of lives lost while in law enforcement custody, particularly those that go unreported while centering community voices, strengthening federal reporting and supporting families, researchers and advocates working toward equitable justice. Click below to read more about the launch event that introduced this project to the public.
Public Administration Today Highlight
Public Administration Today features white papers, research and blogs from across the profession. If you're interested in more—especially your own curated news feed in your inbox every week—visit the website, create an account and check off your interest areas so you can stay up to date about the latest research being released!
How Libraries Can Get Better Press Coverage: Real Tips from Former Journalists
Ray Holley, the communications manager for Sonoma County Library, is fascinated with economic development and planning. When he took his current job at the library in 2018, one of the first questions he wanted to answer was… what is the return on investment of a library?
Tips, Resources and Updates
6 Tools for Tracking the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Civil Liberties
The White House has undertaken initiatives to crack down on immigration, suppress speech, and curtail US public health efforts. These online tools are tracking the rapidly changing U.S. landscape.
Want to Make Yourself Less Appealing to Mosquitoes? Our Quiz Has Surprising Ideas
When it comes to preventing mosquito bites, many people turn to the obvious solutions: bug sprays or just staying indoors. But there are other effective, science-backed ways to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay, some of which may surprise you.
Great Songs for Your Next Road Trip
If you're thinking about taking a road trip, you're going to need some road trip music. You might need a pick-me-up, a distraction, or something for when you need a break from podcasts. But if you're headed out on the road, we're here to help with three songs to blast on your next road trip. (7-minute listen)
Get Ready to Pass through U.S. Airport Security Checkpoints with Your Shoes on Your Feet
For the first time in almost 20 years, travelers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at U.S. airports.
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
- A List of Nearly Everything in the Senate GOP Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save
- How the GOP Bill Saves Money: Paperwork, Paperwork, Paperwork
- A GOP Plan to Sell Public Land Is Back. This Time, It’s Millions of Acres.
- Judge Deems Trump's National Institutes of Health Grant Cuts Illegal
- GAO Finds Trump Administration’s Second Violation of Federal Spending Law
- Democratic Leaders Slam Trump Effort to Transfer Some Education Grant Programs to Labor Department
- GSA Announces New Oracle OneGov Agreement
- Elastic to Discount Software for Agencies in Latest GSA OneGov Agreement
- As Visitors Flock to Parks, Deep Cuts Leave Rangers and Wildlife at Risk
- Former Archivist Raises Red Flags over NARA Cuts
- With DeJoy Out, Postal Stakeholders Push for Pause in Criticized Delivering for America Overhaul Plan
- NIH Memo Pauses Cancellations of Medical Research Grants
- It’s Not Just Harvard. Public Universities Are Also Hurting from Trump’s Cuts to Science.
- Withholding Agency Funds at the End of the Year under Consideration, White House Says
- OMB Seeks "Strategic Reset" of Financial Statement Audits
- DOGE Now Has Approval Authority for Defense IT, Consulting Contracts
- Defense Department Budget Request Goes Hard on AI, Autonomy
- DHS Prepares for Unprecedented Spending Surge under "Big, Beautiful Bill"
Public Service
Note that most news related to federal workforce changes by the current administration are being reported in Federal Workforce in Turmoil. Bridge subscribers have been automatically subscribed to that publication; contact us if you need to check about your ASPA email subscriptions.
Social Equity
Members in the News
Barrett and Greene:
When Reality Intrudes on Good Public Management Ideas
and
The Bad Data Governments Can’t Seem to Escape
Phillip Joyce:
Why Protecting the Congressional Budget Office Should Matter to the Congress, and to the Country
Pamela Herd:
Who Will Be Affected by Trump Administration’s Medicaid, SNAP Work Requirements
Don Kettl:
Trump, Newsom and the Ancient Tradition of Posse Comitatus
and
A Time Machine Tour of Civil Service Reform
Claire Connolly Knox:
UCF Emergency Management Professor, Public Administration Alum Honored for Public Service Contributions
Don Moynihan:
Civic Tech Leaders Worry DOGE Is "Tarnishing" Its Tools to Improve Government
How the Reconciliation Bill Would Change America
and
The Death of US AID
Sean O'Keefe:
Retiring University Professor and Decorated Public Servant Sean O’Keefe G’78 Reflects on a Legacy of Service
Howard Risher:
No Better Way to Manage Performance
Ron Sanders:
U.S. Civil Servants: Do We Love Them or Hate Them? Or Just Thank Them?
Alan Shark:
Will AI Take My Job? Navigating AI’s Impact on Public Sector Jobs
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