Paying for the Polls, with Zach Mohr

04/15/24 • 40 min

We talk to Zach Mohr, Professor at the University of Kansas, about all things elections (not campaign!) finance. He unpacks the many types election administration costs; why states are banning private investment in elections administration; how elections administration competes with other core state/local services; and why, given all these challenges, elections administration is "a miracle." In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss an article that explains how the looming threat of federal government shutdowns interferes with predictable funding for state/local elections.

Previous Episode

Leading for Local Resilience, with Genesis Gavino

We welcome Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff and Resilience Officer for the City of Dallas, TX. She explains why resilience is an environmental, financial, and equity issue; the challenges of climate adaptation for a "Blue City in a Red State"; why Dallas has prioritized climate adaptation; how the city measures progress and holds itself accountable for resilience goals and plans; and how membership in voluntary climate organizations helps create urban resiliency, among many other topics. In Ripped from the Headlines, we discuss a story from The Atlantic about how "climate migrants" might remake the Great Lakes region.

Next Episode

Season 2 Retrospective

As we wrap up season 2, we look back at some of the themes that dominated the season. These key themes include state revenue challenges, the emergence of AI in public finance, cybersecurity, the impact of e-sports on public finance, the economies of "industry" cities, and how municipalities are thinking about building back better.