The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyDecember 19, 2025 For over a hundred years Machiavelli’s name has been associated with manipulation, dominant leadership and high-level political power. In contemporary American thinking (particularly among public administrators) a “Machiavellian” leader is […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyNovember 21, 2025 Public agencies face complex problems with limited resources, high expectations, staff turnover and political instability. Standard reforms such as restructuring, technology upgrades and culture initiatives often fail, as they alter […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyOctober 17, 2025 State and local governments are using data analytics and AI to inform decisions on budgeting and public programs. Traditional analytics often highlight correlations but these do not always indicate causation; […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleySeptember 19, 2025 In 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) canceled the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) for the first time despite a legal requirement for annual surveys. OPM paused the survey […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyAugust 15, 2025 I have been an adjunct instructor for twenty-five years. On August 1, 2000, I started teaching basic public speaking for the University of Louisville’s Department of Communication. In the 25 […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyJuly 18, 2025 Rethinking Street-Level Bureaucracy in the Age of Agentic AIMichael Lipsky’s (1980) Street-Level Bureaucracy argues that frontline public service workers—such as police, teachers and caseworkers—significantly influence policy outcomes through their discretionary […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.  By Bill BrantleyJune 20, 2025 Current initiatives aimed at restructuring the U.S. federal government, such as those outlined in the 2025 Mandate for Leadership and through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), go beyond administrative […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyMay 16, 2025 Government reform efforts in Washington often aimed to address federal inefficiencies but rarely achieved significant results. Despite various commissions and management agendas, most reforms focused on minor adjustments like budget […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.  By Bill BrantleyMarch 21, 2025 Technological advancements are continuously transforming the delivery of services and interactions with citizens by government employees. One such innovation is “vibe coding,” an AI-assisted programming paradigm that empowers individuals, irrespective […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyFebruary 21, 2025 Governments face growing complexity from economic changes, technological shifts, social diversity and geopolitical uncertainties. To manage this, they need the internal capacity to handle such complexity, known in Viable System […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyDecember 20, 2024 AI Skills Gap in Local Governments AI is transforming government services by boosting efficiency, transparency and responsiveness. However, a Public Technology Institute (PTI) survey highlights challenges in local governments’ AI […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill BrantleyNovember 15, 2024 Why Rebrand to “Performance”? In recent years, organizations, including government training departments, have rethought their approach to Learning and Development (L&D). Although L&D has long emphasized continuous learning and employee […]

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill Brantley October 18, 2024 State and local governments face pressure to improve efficiency, cut costs and enhance citizen…

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization. By Bill Brantley September 20, 2024 Affective computing stands out as a key advancement towards human-centered tech. Affective computing…