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PurposeGreen public procurement (GPP) may be a viable solution and an innovative policy tool for public managers to address complex environmental issues facing communities globally. Given their substantial purchasing power, local GPP initiatives and success can accelerate a transition toward a more sustainable society through governments' influence over the private sector. The study's central research question is: What are the factors associated with US local governments' engagement with GPP practices?Design/methodology/approachThis research applies the Mohr's (1969) model of motivations, obstacles and resources (MOR) and draws on original, comprehensive and national survey data collected in collaboration with NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement to explain adoption of GPP as an innovative policy tool. To ensure the robustness of the findings, the data are analysed by running two types of regression – ordinal logistic and negative binomial – using two different operationalizations for the dependent variable, a GPP scale (ordinal) and a GPP scorecard (count).FindingsThe decision surrounding GPP adoption is ultimately driven by organizations' strategic visions, organizations' familiarity with the GPP concept and practices, and mandates from the federal government through funding mechanisms.Originality/valueThis study offers guidance to both academic researchers and policymakers in public management and public budgeting and finance on strategies and policy options to expand GPP adoption and utilization.

This paper presents an overview of the State of Idaho's FY 2022 budget recommendations and appropriations in the context of demographic changes, economic conditions, and politics. The Executive Budget for FY 2022 notes Governor Little's historical support of education, job growth, economic opportunity, and fostering an environment for Idaho to avoid citizen migration to other states. However, this policy, along with the COVID-19 exodus, has resulted in a large influx of people from other states with the commensurate housing and infrastructure demands. As most Idaho budgets tend to move incrementally in support of education and infrastructure in the context of very healthy revenues, the state is likely to weather, though with some ambivalence, economic fluctuations. However, partisan tensions threaten education and safety net programming.

AbstractThis study investigates how green purchasing in local governments varies as a function of the organization's internal commitment, operationalized by the stage of institutionalization of green public procurement (GPP), and external pressures from various stakeholder groups. GPP, a value‐based innovation justified on the grounds of intergenerational equity, is an important tool governments can use to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Survey data from 210 U.S. local governments reveal that while both external and internal factors are strong predictors of buying green, internal commitment matters relatively more. We also find that earlier stages of GPP institutionalization are more conducive to external influence, albeit the effect differs among stakeholders. Local governments tend to be more likely to buy green when nudged by nonprofits and interest groups, and less so when offered financial incentives by the federal government.

As the U.S. recovers from the pandemic, the Biden administration is working to rebuild relationships across levels of government, from the top to the bottom, that were strained during the presidency of Donald Trump. In November 2020, Biden offered urban leaders a seat at the table in coronavirus recovery efforts, promising to avoid partisanship. Addressing the National League of Cities in March 2021, Harris praised urban leadership on COVID-19 – cities like Seattle and New York were among the first to respond to the pandemic, developing testing protocols, tracking new infections and supplying equipment for hospitals – and highlighted the administration's plans to help pay for improvements to local infrastructure. The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of government leaders working together.

AbstractWhile the U.S. federal government strives to advance social equity in government contracting through various policies to support small disadvantaged business enterprises (SDBEs), entry barriers persist. Drawing on federal government spending data from the initial response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, this study estimates logistic and multinomial logistic regressions using portfolio management theory to understand what factors can favor SDBE participation in government contracts during the immediate response to emergencies and whether these factors differ when governments award strategic versus non‐strategic contracts. The results show that governments do not necessarily have to reduce competition to favor SDBE participation in government contracts, as some of these suppliers can participate and win competitive procedures. Although non‐SDBE suppliers were still more likely to be awarded contracts during the initial emergency response, SDBE suppliers were more likely to win procedures for strategic and important supplies.

AbstractThe economic response of the US government to the COVID‐19 pandemic envisions massive investment in infrastructure construction. Yet, governments contract out public works and might lack the capacity to meet the increased demand for new construction. Drawing on a mix of survey and interview data, we identify critical deficiencies in contract capacity that might lead to a loss of public resources and further erode trust in the government. We propose a plan for restructuring public procurement systems and offer solutions around four foci: collaboration, training, flexibility, and sustainability. This transformation path would enhance government contract capacity and use markets to signal a demand for sustainable infrastructure and create public value in line with the strategic objectives of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.

AbstractScholars have long hypothesized that democratic forms of government are more compatible with scientific advancement. However, empirical analysis testing the democracy–science compatibility hypothesis remains underdeveloped. This article explores the effect of democratic governance on scientific performance using panel data on 124 countries between 2007–2017. We find evidence supporting the democracy–science hypothesis. Further, using both internal and external measures of complexity, we estimate the effects of complexity as a moderating factor between the democracy–science connection. The results show differential main effects of economic complexity, globalization, and international collaboration on scientific performance, as well as significant interaction effects that moderate the effect of democracy on scientific performance. The findings show the significance of democratic governance and complex systems in national scientific performance.

Innovation is often promoted as the path to overcoming the burdens of bureaucratic organizations and fostering improved service to the public. In a moment where governments face dynamic administrative and policy challenges, there is great need for leveraging innovative ideas from public sector employees. What is less clear are which factors of employee human capital correlate with feeling encouraged to innovate. We test how three types of human capital influence innovation: organization level, industry specific, and individual specific human capital. We also explore whether there are differences in feeling encouraged to innovate linked to education, training, and demographics such as gender, race, and age. Using survey responses from 2,191 public procurement officers from various levels of government in the United States, we find human capital components including experience, and age correlate with feeling encouraged to innovate, though not always in expected ways.