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Where is my print edition of the State & Local Sourcebook?
Starting in July 2007, Governing's State & Local Sourcebook is an exclusively online publication. While print is a fine medium for some kinds of content, such as the comprehensive feature articles that Governing publishes every month, it has its limitations as a medium for the presentation of data-intensive content. To make the Sourcebook even more valuable to our users, we are taking it online where the data is searchable, customizable and continuously updated.
How do I notify Governing about data errors in the Sourcebook and/or Contacts Directory?
We welcome all feedback on the Sourcebook, whether notifying us of errors, seeking help on using the Sourcebook, offering suggestions for improvements, praise or criticism. Please use this link to submit corrections or other feedback.
Whom should I contact if I have questions about the data charts and/or contacts?
You can either phone or e-mail us at 202-862-8802 or sourcebook@governing.com.
How often is the Sourcebook data updated?
The databases are updated as new data from any of the sources used in the charts and tables in the Sourcebook is released. To receive e-mail alerts when the data is updated or new content added, click here.
Where does the data come from?
The data is compiled from multiple sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FedSources, Gartner Dataquest, Darrell West at Brown University, Education Week, BioCycle, the Federal Communications Commission and State Policy Reports. While we use data from these sources, many of the calculations and rankings in the charts are done independently by Governing staff. For example, while some sources do not publish per capita data, Governing uses the population year that corresponds with the data being used to develop this information.
Why isn't there a chart on [insert category here]?
We try to choose which charts we use based on the topics that are most pertinent to state and local government today. As we continue to expand our online Sourcebook, our available topics will also expand.
How do you decide which cities are in the Sourcebook database?
The most populous city in each state is included. Beyond that, we include the next 25 most populous cities nationwide.
How do you decide which counties are included in the contacts database?
The database includes the 50 most populous counties in the United States, based on the most recent available information from the U.S. Census Bureau. We exclude some entities the Census Bureau considers counties but which have few government functions under their control, such as the boroughs of New York City.
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