Tom Rosentiel

Do the glitches reported during the Florida primary show that many states aren’t ready for election day? Two experts debate the question.

Obama’s former colleagues in the state legislature say that attacks on his ‘present votes’ show that either his opponents don’t understand how things work in Springfield or they are deliberately distorting his record.

“Much of America is held together by Scotch tape, bailing wire and prayers,” says one expert of the state of the country’s dams, bridges, roadways and sewer lines.

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of standardized tests in public schools today, but differences in state standards and the reluctance of some states to spend money for high-quality, challenging tests have caused a great disparity from state to state.

As the pace of stem-cell research quickens, seven big states are financing the science in hopes of attracting the world’s best scientists.

While attention is focused on this year’s presidential election, races with equal or even greater power to impact folks’ everyday lives will be decided at the state level, including 11 governors’ contests, key legislative races and numerous ballot initiatives.