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The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government

Tuesday, January 06, 2009
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Observations
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Observations

From ‘Can-Do’ to Candor in Government


By Richard Nathan
Richard Nathan
Richard Nathan, co-director of the Institute, focuses on the widespread desire for change in American government. He suggests that it’s time for candor about the size of the tasks to be faced, and about the difficulties that arise in bringing about institutional change. We can’t simply assume that big and bold changes will quickly go into effect.
November 2008

Workforce Development at Community Colleges


By David Shaffer
David Shaffer
America's workforce has long been the most productive in the world — but we know that in the years ahead, workers are going to need training, and training again, and again, to keep up with the competitive pressures of the global economy. Both candidates for president have put community colleges on the center stage of their plans for workforce development.
September 2008

Stretched Net: Spending on the Poor


By Thomas Gais
Thomas Gais
Will state and local social welfare systems hold up in this recession? A new Rockefeller Institute report found reasons for concern. Nearly all major social welfare programs are now block grants, capped matching grants, or grants whose eligibility is highly restricted in some other way. And these grants aren’t keeping pace with the growing number of poor families.
October 2008

Barack Obama’s Education R&D Plan


By Allison Armour-Garb
Allison Armour-Garb
President-elect Barack Obama’s education reform program has a largely unheralded, but important, plank that basically acknowledges our collective lack of knowledge about how best to improve education in this country. To build our education know-how, he would double federal investment in education R&D.
December 2008

Observations Archive