On the Town: The Debate Over Reversion and Revenue-Sharing
Virginia has 40 independent cities—28 are eligible to revert to town status. With increased competition between city and county, reversion promises cities new clout and relief from costly education and …
So Sue Me: The Demise of Common-Sense Law
Clogged court dockets and multi-million dollar settlements are just two troubling signs of our litigious society. George Mason University law professor David Bertsein says we need more-focused laws that specifically spell out …
Political Literacy: What Americans Should Know Before Voting
On Tuesday this week, millions of Americans will cast their votes to elect our nations’ leader. Yet many Americans know little about politics, and the blurring of lines between party …
Seeing Green: The Economics of Environmentalism
For more than 30 years, environmentalists have stressed the long-term benefits of environmentally friendly business practices, but has big business finally gotten the message? Some economists are even trying to …
What’s My Line? Managing Careers in the 21st Century
American businesses have been downsizing, right-sizing and, in some cases, capsizing for more than a decade. Some American workers are more anxious than ever. Virginia Military Institute economist Doug Woundy and Virginia …
Up Against the Mall: The Future of Small Businesses
Huge retail chains and warehouse loss leaders offer variety and low prices that few small retailers can touch. Will small businesses go the way of downtown department stores and drive-in …
Spreading the Wealth: Regional Tax Revenue Sharing
To stave off annexation battles and to improve metropolitan regions as a whole, many Virginia counties are now sharing tax revenues with neighboring cities. Norfolk State University sociologist Ronald Proctor and Virginia …
Turf Wars: The Debate Over Regional Government
As Virginia’s innercity problems spill over into the surburban counties, local governments are looking at the ways cities and counties can cooperate to improve the lives of all citizens. Christopher …
The Value of a Friend: Foreign Aid in the Post Cold-War Era
The cash-strapped United States spends millions each year to buy the cooperation of nations large and small at the same time lawmakers propose cutting welfare and Medicare for its own …