Best & Worst Practices in Governance

Real-world examples of what works and what fails. Learn from successes worth replicating and cautionary tales worth avoiding.

These case studies are drawn from verified sources including government reports, investigative journalism, and academic research. Each example includes direct links to primary sources so you can dig deeper. Our goal is not to praise or condemn, but to identify patterns that work and warning signs that every citizen and civic leader should recognize.

Citizen Engagement

How governments involve residents in decision-making, from civic education programs to participatory budgeting.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE Olathe, Kansas

Olathe Civic Academy

Free 8–10 week civic education program that transforms residents into informed leaders and qualified board candidates.

What They Do Right

  • Free night program offered twice yearly with structured curriculum covering city operations, budgeting, zoning, public safety, and capital projects
  • Hands-on experiences including ride-alongs with police/fire, mock city council meetings, and facility tours
  • Graduation requirement for eligibility to serve on all city boards and commissions
  • Alumni network maintains ongoing volunteer pipeline and community engagement

Measurable Impact

  • 2,700+ graduates since 2003
  • ~70% of current board/commission members are academy alumni
  • Regular winner of ICMA & Kansas Association of Cities "excellence in citizen engagement" awards

Why It Works

Creates informed, invested citizens who become the pool of qualified volunteers instead of political appointees.

Replicate This

Contact Olathe via OlatheConnect (olatheks.gov/residents/city-news/contact-us) to request curriculum materials. Budget: ~$15k/year for a city of 150k. Free alternative: Harvard City Leader Guide on Civic Engagement (cityleadership.harvard.edu).

BEST PRACTICE Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Comprehensive Citizen Input Process

Permanent digital platform and participatory budgeting that lets residents directly shape multi-billion dollar investments.

What They Do Right

  • Permanent "OKC Speaks" online platform combined with in-person ward meetings
  • Participatory budgeting pilot (Mapps program) lets residents directly vote on projects
  • Massive bond issues ($2.7B in 2025) shaped entirely by citizen committees and surveys

Measurable Impact

  • 2025 bond package received 40,000+ survey responses
  • Consistently highest bond passage rate in U.S. (all since 1993 passed)
  • #1 park system in America (Trust for Public Land 2025)

Why It Works

Residents see their input become bricks-and-mortar results, creating higher trust and turnout.

Replicate This

Contact OKC Public Information Office (public.info@okc.gov, 405-297-2578) for their engagement toolkit. Run town halls + digital surveys before every major capital bond. Free resource: Participatory Budgeting Project toolkits (participatorybudgeting.org).

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Flint, Michigan (2014–2016)

Deliberate Exclusion & Dismissal of Citizens

Emergency manager bypassed elected officials and dismissed resident complaints, leading to mass lead poisoning.

What They Did Wrong

  • Emergency manager bypassed elected council entirely
  • Switched water source without public hearings or proper corrosion control
  • State DEQ altered and falsified water quality reports
  • Residents' complaints of rashes, hair loss, and odor were dismissed as "hysteria"
  • Children used as "canaries" while officials denied the problem for 18 months

Consequences

  • 100,000+ residents exposed to lead-contaminated water
  • Legionnaires' disease outbreak killed 12 people
  • Permanent developmental harm to 9,000+ children
  • $400M+ settlement with multiple criminal convictions still ongoing in 2025

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Top-down emergency manager law that suspended local democracy
  • Systematic silencing of resident testimony and complaints
  • No independent oversight of critical public health decisions

Whistleblower Protections & Encouragement

Legal frameworks and incentives that protect and reward those who report fraud, waste, and abuse.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE California

False Claims Act – Qui Tam Program

Nation's strongest state False Claims Act with financial incentives and robust anti-retaliation protections.

What They Do Right

  • Allows private citizens to file sealed lawsuits on behalf of the state against fraudsters
  • Relator (whistleblower) share of 15–30% of recovery plus attorney fees paid by defendant
  • Strongest anti-retaliation protections in U.S.: job reinstatement + double backpay + punitive damages
  • Dedicated Attorney General unit handles hundreds of cases annually

Measurable Impact

  • $18.2M recovered in single 2025 case alone
  • Over $2 billion total recovered since program strengthened
  • Highest volume of credible fraud reports in the nation

Why It Works

Financial incentive + robust job protection = highest volume of credible cases.

Replicate This

Adopt/strengthen qui tam with minimum 15% relator share and mandatory attorney-fee shifting.

BEST PRACTICE New Jersey

CEPA + OPIA Corruption Tipline

Broadest whistleblower protections in America with dedicated anonymous corruption reporting.

What They Do Right

  • Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) has broadest definition of protected activity in U.S.
  • One-year statute of limitations (longest in nation)
  • Dedicated Office of Public Integrity & Accountability corruption tipline with guaranteed anonymity
  • Jury trials and punitive damages explicitly allowed

Measurable Impact

  • Ranked #1 or #2 strongest state whistleblower law every year by Government Accountability Project
  • High volume of successful retaliation claims protecting employees

Why It Works

Comprehensive legal protections combined with accessible, anonymous reporting channels.

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Texas & Florida (2024–2025)

Gutted Protections & Chilling Effects

Narrow protections routinely defeated in court, creating a culture of silence and retaliation.

What They Did Wrong

  • Texas: Sovereign immunity routinely defeats whistleblower claims; narrow "public employee only" scope excludes contractors and private sector
  • Florida: 2023–2024 laws shield university presidents and state officials from disclosure and whistleblower suits
  • Retaliation claims almost never survive summary judgment in either state

Consequences

  • Culture of silence where fraud goes unreported
  • Whistleblowers fired, blacklisted, and bankrupted with no legal recourse
  • Major corruption cases never surface due to fear

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Laws designed to protect institutions rather than truth-tellers
  • Courts consistently side with employers over whistleblowers
  • No financial incentives to offset career-ending risks

Transparency / Open Records

Public access to government records, response times, fee structures, and enforcement of sunshine laws.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE Washington State

Public Records Act

Broadest definition of public record in America with fast timelines and real penalties for non-compliance.

What They Do Right

  • Broadest definition of "public record" in the United States
  • 5-business-day response requirement
  • Low or no fees for most records requests
  • Strong penalties for non-compliance: $100+/day plus attorney fees
  • Excellent online training portal for government agencies

Measurable Impact

  • Consistently ranked #1 by news and media coalitions 2018–2025
  • Fastest fulfillment times in nation according to MuckRock data
  • High agency compliance rate due to meaningful penalties

Why It Works

Presumption that all records are public unless specific exemption applies, with teeth for enforcement.

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Arkansas (2024–2025)

FOIA Weakening & Obstruction

Repeated legislative weakening of public records access with highest denial rates in the nation.

What They Did Wrong

  • 2023–2025 laws created dozens of new exemptions, especially for governor's office and security matters
  • Routine delays of months to years for basic requests
  • Highest denial rate in the nation
  • Attorney general routinely defends agencies that refuse to release records

Consequences

  • Ranked dead last in 2025 Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press scorecard
  • Citizens and journalists routinely blocked from basic public information
  • Government accountability nearly impossible without litigation

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Legislature actively working to reduce transparency rather than increase it
  • Attorney general aligned with secrecy rather than public access
  • No meaningful penalties for non-compliance

Ethics & Anti-Corruption

Independent oversight bodies, ethics training requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE Seattle, Washington

Ethics & Elections Commission

Fully independent commission with real investigative power, mandatory training, and public accountability.

What They Do Right

  • Fully independent commission that cannot be overruled by city council appointees
  • Own investigative and prosecutorial authority
  • Mandatory annual ethics training with testing for all city employees
  • Public searchable database of every complaint and outcome
  • Whistleblower reward fund to incentivize reporting

Measurable Impact

  • Highest municipal compliance rate in U.S. (2025 ICMA survey)
  • Model cited by ICMA and GFOA for other cities
  • Transparent record creates deterrent effect

Why It Works

True independence + public transparency + financial incentives for reporting = accountability.

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Bell, California (2010)

Salary Scandal & Systemic Corruption

City manager paid $1.5M/year in town of 36,000 with no oversight—lessons still ignored elsewhere.

What They Did Wrong

  • City manager paid $1.5M annually; assistant managers over $400k in city of just 36,000 people
  • No independent ethics oversight existed
  • Fake "boards" created solely to justify additional salary payments
  • Zero transparency until LA Times investigative journalism exposed the scheme

Consequences

  • 8 officials convicted of felony corruption charges
  • City nearly driven to bankruptcy
  • Destroyed public trust requiring years to rebuild

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No independent body reviewing compensation or contracts
  • Council members benefiting from same schemes they should oversee
  • Complete opacity in financial records

Fiscal Management

Budget transparency, rainy-day funds, pension funding, debt management, and financial accountability.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE Tennessee & Utah

AAA Bond Rating & Fiscal Discipline

Constitutional safeguards, transparent spending portals, and disciplined budgeting maintain top fiscal health.

What They Do Right

  • Constitutional rainy-day fund caps maintained at >15% of budget
  • AAA bond rating every year from all three agencies
  • Transparent online checkbook-level spending portals accessible to all citizens
  • Multi-year budgeting with truth-in-taxation public hearings
  • Strict constitutional debt limits

Measurable Impact

  • Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50 (2025): Tennessee #1, Utah #3
  • Lowest debt per capita among large states
  • Weathered economic downturns without service cuts or tax increases

Why It Works

Constitutional guardrails prevent political temptation to overspend or underfund obligations.

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Illinois

Pension Crisis & Chronic Underfunding

Decades of skipped payments and fiscal gimmicks created $142 billion hole threatening state services.

What They Did Wrong

  • Decades of skipping or reducing required pension payments
  • Constitutional protection of benefits with no corresponding funding requirement
  • "Pension holidays" used to balance budgets in election years
  • Borrowing money to make pension payments (paying interest on retirement obligations)

Consequences

  • $142 billion unfunded pension liability as of 2025
  • Lowest funded ratio in nation for 20+ consecutive years
  • Repeated credit downgrades increasing borrowing costs
  • Crowding out of education, infrastructure, and services

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Constitutional amendment protecting benefits without funding mechanism
  • Politicians rewarded for short-term thinking, punished for fiscal discipline
  • No transparency requirements for pension fund performance

Consumer Protections

Anti-scam measures, elder fraud prevention, public education campaigns, and enforcement resources.

Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE Utah

Division of Consumer Protection – Scam Alert System

Real-time scam alerts and aggressive public education achieving lowest elder fraud rates in region.

What They Do Right

  • Real-time text and email scam alerts to subscribers
  • Public scam phone number and email blacklist database
  • Aggressive daily social media warnings across platforms
  • Dedicated "Scam of the Week" education campaign

Measurable Impact

  • One of lowest elder fraud loss rates in the United States
  • High public awareness of current scam tactics
  • Rapid response to emerging threats

Why It Works

Proactive education before victimization rather than reactive enforcement after.

BEST PRACTICE California & National

AARP Fraud Watch Network & State AG Partnerships

Interactive public map of reported scams with real-time updates and collaborative law enforcement integration.

What They Do Right

  • Interactive public map showing every reported scam by city and ZIP code
  • Real-time updates as new reports come in from consumers
  • Partnership between AARP Fraud Watch Network and state attorneys general offices
  • Integrated with national fraud databases for cross-jurisdictional tracking

Measurable Impact

  • Public can see scam hotspots in their area
  • Law enforcement can identify patterns and prioritize resources
  • Creates deterrent effect through visibility

Why It Works

Transparency + data sharing = coordinated response across jurisdictions.

Cautionary Examples

WORST PRACTICE Mississippi & Alabama

Minimal Elder Scam Protections

No dedicated elder fraud units and minimal outreach result in highest victimization rates nationally.

What They Did Wrong

  • No dedicated elder fraud unit in either state
  • Minimal proactive education or community outreach
  • Weak enforcement resources spread across general consumer protection
  • No real-time alert systems or scam tracking

Consequences

  • Highest per-capita elder fraud losses in America (AARP 2025 Fraud Watch)
  • Seniors isolated from information about current threats
  • Scammers actively target these states knowing enforcement is weak

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Budget priorities exclude vulnerable population protection
  • Reactive only—no prevention strategy
  • No coordination with federal elder justice initiatives