Transit Funding: Who’s Actually Driving This Thing
Transit reliability is shaped less by agency performance than by funding design. Capital and operating money are split, controlled by different actors, and bound by veto points. The result is visible investment without dependable service.
Local Budgets: The Real Map Behind Your City’s Money
Local budgets are binding control documents that enforce a hierarchy of spending. In California, fixed costs and voter-restricted revenues are paid first, while flexible services absorb cuts when money runs short. This structure explains why some services erode over time while legally protected obligations remain stable.
Hot-Spot Policing: How Concentrating Enforcement Changes Outcomes
Hot-spot policing concentrates police activity on small places with high crime. Research shows short-term reductions at targeted locations, uneven spillover effects, and real tradeoffs around enforcement intensity and public trust.
How Congressional Representation Works — and Why the House Is Frozen at 435
The House of Representatives does not grow with the population. It redistributes a fixed number of seats instead. That choice reshapes vote weight, district size, and political power without changing the number of representatives.
CEQA: How Environmental Review Shapes Development
CEQA requires environmental review before projects move forward. It improves transparency but also creates delay and litigation risk. The law shapes development through process, not prohibition.
How the New 2026 IRS Charitable Contribution Rules Work
Starting in 2026, charitable deductions work differently depending on how you file. Non-itemizers get a small above-the-line deduction, itemizers face a new minimum threshold, and high-income donors see a cap on tax value. The rules change incentives, not eligibility.