Faced with shrinking budgets and growing needs, state and local governments and community organizations across the United States are trying to do more with less. The recent economic downturn has made it harder to address basic needs — such as improving access to services in urban and rural areas, updating an aging infrastructure, preparing students for 21st century jobs, protecting the environment, and ensuring the overall health and well-being of their residents.
Confronting the stark choices imposed by this environment, decisionmakers are asking tough questions:
Beginning with its work in New York City in the early 1970s, RAND has partnered actively with communities across the U.S. seeking to come to grips with longstanding problems and new challenges posed by sudden change. For decades, RAND has used its analytic expertise to help states and localities diagnose policy problems, identify solutions, and implement solutions.
