# Government Curiosity Chronicle A curated collection of blogs, newsletters, websites, and thinkers exploring the workings, oddities, and innovations within government and public institutions. For public servants with personal blogs, see _[[Bureaucrats with Blogs]]_. ## Regular reads - [Statecraft](https://www.statecraft.pub/), published by [[Institute for Progress (IFP)]] (US) - [Eating Policy](https://www.eatingpolicy.com/), written by [[Jennifer Phalka]] (US) - [Autrement Autrement](https://substack.com/@vraimentvraiment/notes), an _infolettre_ by [[Vraiment Vraiment]] (FR) - [Can we still govern?](https://donmoynihan.substack.com/) Written by Don Moynihan (US) - [Future State](https://endstate.substack.com/), written by James Plunkett (UK) - [Hypertext](https://www.niskanencenter.org/niskanen-center-substacks/), published by the [[Niskanen Center]] (US) - [Policy Fix](https://ravigurumurthy.substack.com/), written by Ravi Gurumurthy (UK) - [State Capacitance](https://substack.com/@thekevinruse), written by Kevin Hawickhorst (US) - [Policycraft](https://policycraft.substack.com/), written by Ashley Challinor (CA) ## Around the world - Europe - UK - [SMF Wonk Week](http://bit.ly/SMFupdates) (love this one) - [Platformland](https://www.platformland.xyz/), written by Richard Pope (UK) - [Simon Parker](https://medium.com/@SimonFParker) - [Martin Stanley](https://ukcivilservant.substack.com/) - [Geoff Mulgan](https://geoffmulgan.substack.com/) - [Institute for Government](https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/) - [Reform](https://reform.uk/) - [Heywood Quarterly](https://heywoodquarterly.com/) - [Center for Public Impact](https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/) - [Demos](https://demos.co.uk/) - [Future Governance Forum](https://www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/) - [Digital by Default](https://digitalbydefault.com/), by [[Matt Jukes]] - [NHS notes](https://frankieroberto.github.io/nhsnotes/), by Frankie Roberto - Scotland - [Digital Policy](https://digitalpolicy.substack.com/), by [[Gordon Guthrie]] - France - [Acteurs Publics](https://acteurspublics.fr/) - [Horizons Publics](https://www.horizonspublics.fr/) - [La Boussole du Manager](https://www.fonction-publique.gouv.fr/toutes-les-publications/la-boussole-du-manager-valoriser-les-savoir-etre-professionnels) (The Manager’s Compass): A publication series by the French Directorate-General for Administration and the Civil Service (DGAFP), focused on supporting managers across the public sector. - Spain - [Rafael Jimenez Asensio](https://rafaeljimenezasensio.com/) - Germany  - [Re:Form](https://reform-staat.org/) - Latin America - Brasil - [Monthly newsletter](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/como-desenvolvemos-um-produto-digital-sob-medida-em-projeto-ir7yf/) from the [[ImpulsoGov]] tech, product, and data teams, sharing behind-the-scenes insights on building digital tools to strengthen Brazil’s public health system. - [Movimento Pessoas a Frente](https://movimentopessoasafrente.org.br/) (the website is only available in Brazil, use VPN) - [República.org](https://republica.org/) - [Universal Health Monitor](https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/universal-health-monitor-7266249663400271872/), written by André Medici - [Magna Karta](https://magnakarta.substack.com/), by Magno Karl - Others - [Diseño Público](https://disenopublico.substack.com/), published by [Unit](https://unit.la/) - [Gobernarte](https://blogs.iadb.org/administracion-publica/es/), published by IDB - [Futuro Público](https://futuropublico.org/) - Africa - [Interweave.Africa](https://interweaveafrica.substack.com/), by [[Luke Cavanaugh]] - [Our Long Walk](https://www.ourlongwalk.com/), by Johan Fourie - North America - Canada - [The Functionary](https://policyoptions.irpp.org/the-functionary-archive/) - US - [Partnership for Public Service](https://ourpublicservice.org/) - [Volcker Alliance](https://www.volckeralliance.org/) - [The People Lab](https://peoplelab.hks.harvard.edu/) - [Effective Institutions Project](https://effectiveinstitutionsproject.substack.com/) - [Francis Fukuyama](https://www.persuasion.community/s/frankly-fukuyama) - [Futurepolis](https://futurepolis.substack.com/), written by Gideon Lichfield - [Government Works](https://governmentworks.substack.com/), written by Brian Wanlass - [Governance Cybernetics](https://www.governance.fyi/), by Dave Deek - [[Good Government Organizations#Center for Public Sector AI (CPSAI)|CPSAI Spotlight]], by Center for Public Sector AI - [Joe Lonsdale](https://blog.joelonsdale.com/), Trump supporter, Palantir founder, I know I know - but his [[Good Government Organizations#Cicero Institute|Cicero Institute]] and govtech ventures like [OpenGov](https://opengov.com/) and [Esper](https://esper.com/) are shaping US state-level policy) - [Reboot Democracy](https://rebootdemocracy.ai/), by Beth Simone Noveck (from the Burnes Center for Social Change and The Governance Lab) - [Prototyping Politics](https://prototypingpolitics.substack.com/), by Soren Dayton - [Divided Argument](https://blog.dividedargument.com/), by William Baude, [Nicholas Bagley](https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/nicholas-bagley) and many others - [Thought(ful) Leaders](https://jessicalynnmacleod.substack.com/), by Jessica MacLeod (very good HR stuff) - Asia-Pacific - [GovInsider](https://govinsider.asia/intl-en) (South Asia) - [The Mandarin](https://www.themandarin.com.au/) (Australia) - [Interweave.Gov](https://interweavegov.substack.com/) (Eurasia), by [[Luke Cavanaugh]] and Suraj Bulchand - [Bowl of Fish Hooks](https://fishhooks.substack.com/), by Annika Naschitzki (New Zealand) ## Podcasts - [The GovFresh Podcast](https://podcast.govfresh.com/). A podcast exploring the intersection of design, technology, and government. Hosted by [[Luke Fretwell]] and produced by [[GovFresh]], an open civic organization. - [The GovNavigators Show](https://open.spotify.com/show/2L9ntu5WY9PCAIMYuGqPE8?si=f15eac96effc411c). A podcast about government management in the United States. Produced by [GovNavigators](https://www.govnavigators.com/). - [Inside Briefing](https://open.spotify.com/show/3vMi6yxX3xlsrleSIE9Xbw?si=ec5a201316fe477b). Weekly episodes on British politics and public administration. Produced by the Institute for Government. - [Data@Work](https://open.spotify.com/show/1GarnUFl4KdLQm3vdCObDt?si=e12901e8cefc4965). A podcast about how governments use data to improve programs and services. Produced by [[Results for America]]. - [Work with Purpose APS](https://open.spotify.com/show/3vMi6yxX3xlsrleSIE9Xbw?si=a846d1b61f244bb2). A podcast about the Australian Public Service. Produced by [contentgroup](https://contentgroup.com.au/work-with-purpose/) (a government communications consultancy) in partnership with IPAA (Institute of Public Administration Australia). - [GovCast](https://govcast.buzzsprout.com/2279787). A podcast (in German) about state modernization and public administration (in Germany). Hosted by Faruk Tuncer, founder and CEO of the govtech company [Polyteia](https://www.polyteia.com/). - [The Government Huddle Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/4zR1pfsiedtMFpMMDToNuu). Podcast host [Brian Chidester](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abchidester/) is joined by expert guests from the public sector to discuss government technology issues. - [COREX Podcasts](https://www.cost-corex.com/podcasts). A series of podcasts produced with AI, featuring research by COREX scholars. [[COREX (Comparative Research on the Executive Triangle in Europe)]] is a pan-European research initiative that examines the relationships between executive politicians, senior civil servants and ministerial advisors (collectively referred to as the "executive triangle"). ## Collaborative Documents Below is a curated list of living documents, wikis and repositories on public management and government (open for annotation, feedback and collective editing). - [Proudly Serving: A Guide to People-Centered Digital Public Services](https://proudlyservingbook.com). A living playbook to help local governments design and deliver better digital services. Created and maintained in the open, it’s led by [[Luke Fretwell]] and [[Rebecca Woodbury]], with contributions from a wide network of public servants, technologists, and community members. - [GovTech Reckoning: A Framework for Government Modernization (Google Doc)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MztFAK7Fk2vJxpJxlRhDTdMLxaQmRxXZpiRFIGaijzA/edit?usp=sharing) A collaboratively editable Google Doc by [Joy Bonaguro](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joybonaguro_govtech-reckoning-a-framework-for-government-activity-7308518544734920705-EcEx/) that introduces a six‑part “virtuous cycle” for GovTech reform (policy infrastructure, government capacity, market reform, ecosystem support, strategic philanthropy and civic hacking). - [Emerging Technology Policy Careers (Website)](https://www.emergingtechpolicy.org). A U.S.-based guide to public service careers at the intersection of emerging technologies (like AI, bio, cyber) and public policy. Created by the [[Good Government Organizations#Horizon Institute for Public Service|Horizon Institute for Public Service]], the site supports students and professionals (especially those without insider access) with clear, practical advice on policy pathways, institutions, fellowships, and career resources. Aimed at expanding access to high-impact roles in U.S. tech policy. - [Advice on Digital Government Transformation for Canada (Google Doc)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12-Rz4vrI0nLskcx2vX18JWrlJL_IjU27w6Bz_bYWCrE/edit?tab=t.0) A collaboratively editable Google Doc initiated by [Derek Alton](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/derek-alton-99ab8921_advice-on-digital-government-transformation-activity-7262256036525355008-XHTK/) to crowdsource best practices, tools and case studies for digital transformation in Canada’s public sector. - [A Living Timeline of Public Sector Innovation (Google Doc)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/your-doc-id-2/edit) A collaboratively editable Google Doc by [Derek Alton](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/derek-alton-99ab8921_an-incomplete-history-of-public-sector-innovation-activity-7299548385512939520-Wg6Q/) that maps key milestones, frameworks and players in public sector innovation worldwide.