Government Performance

To handle a complex array of issues and compete in an increasingly global society, states must be performing at the “top of their game.” Like the private sector, state governments must become more efficient and effective in how they operate, including how they manage their money, employees, information and infrastructure. 
 
Several of the Pew Center on the States’ projects focus on how well state governments conduct the public’s business, including the Government Performance Project, which both assesses and assists states, and the Public Safety Performance Project, which encourages sentencing and corrections reform.

These projects are part of Pew’s broader focus—studying and promoting nonpartisan policy solutions for pressing and emerging problems affecting the American public.

  • Death Penalty Reform

    The Justice Project Education Fund promotes reforms aimed at ensuring fairness and accuracy in the administration of the death penalty in the United States, including more DNA testing and other legal safeguards.
  • Government Performance Project

    The Government Performance Project issues a 50-state report card measuring how states perform in key areas and helps officials who want to deliver better government services for taxpayers at less cost.
  • Sentencing and Corrections

    The Public Safety Performance Project offers research and policy solutions to states seeking ways to keep the public safe while reducing what they spend on corrections.

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ONE IN 31: THE LONG REACH OF AMERICAN CORRECTIONS

The escalation of the prison population as well as the number of individuals on probation or parole is documented in the Public Safety Performance Project's new report, One in 31: The Long Reach of American CorrectionsRead more.