Laboratories of Democracy: The State and Local Innovations Every American Should Be Watching

Justice Louis Brandeis famously described American states as "laboratories of democracy" — spaces where bold policy ideas could be tested, evaluated, and, if successful, scaled to the national level. Nearly a century after Brandeis offered that observation, his framework has never felt more relevant. In 2017, with federal policymaking often gridlocked and the national conversation frequently dominated by conflict rather than construction, it is at the local and state level where some of the most consequential governance experiments in recent memory are taking shape.

What follows is PDP 2017's guide to the policy innovations that deserve the attention of every American who believes that good government — regardless of partisan affiliation — is possible.

Healthcare: Expanding Access Where Washington Has Stalled

Nevada: The Public Option Precedent

In a development that drew national attention, Nevada's state legislature passed a bill in 2017 that would have allowed any resident to purchase coverage through the state's Medicaid program, effectively establishing a state-level public option for health insurance. While the bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Brian Sandoval, the legislative achievement itself was remarkable — and the policy concept it embodied continues to circulate in statehouses across the country. Nevada demonstrated that a public option is not merely a theoretical construct but a legislatively viable proposal capable of earning majority support.

Maryland: Cost Control Through Regulation

Maryland has operated under a unique hospital rate-setting system for decades, one that controls what hospitals may charge for services and has consistently produced lower cost growth than the national average. In 2017, state officials are working to expand this framework through a new agreement with the federal government that ties hospital payments to population health outcomes. The Maryland model offers a compelling counterpoint to the assumption that cost control and quality care are inherently incompatible objectives.

Infrastructure: Building for the 21st Century

Los Angeles: Measure M and the Long Game

In November 2016, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure M, a half-cent sales tax increase projected to generate more than $120 billion in transportation funding over four decades. The measure passed with nearly 71 percent of the vote — a margin that reflects both the severity of the region's infrastructure deficit and the effectiveness of a civic campaign that made the long-term economic and quality-of-life case for sustained public investment.

The Los Angeles model is instructive not only for its substance but for its method. By framing infrastructure investment as a multigenerational commitment rather than a single-cycle budget item, county leaders built a coalition that crossed conventional political boundaries. The lesson for other municipalities is clear: voters are willing to support significant public investment when they trust that the funds will be managed responsibly and the benefits will be tangible.

Colorado: Rural Broadband as Infrastructure Equity

Colorado has taken a distinctive approach to the digital divide by empowering local governments to build their own broadband networks. Under state law amended in recent years, municipalities and counties may opt out of restrictions that previously prevented them from competing with private internet service providers. Several rural Colorado communities have since established publicly owned broadband utilities, delivering higher speeds at lower costs than the private market had provided. As broadband access becomes increasingly essential to economic participation, Colorado's framework offers a model for states grappling with persistent rural connectivity gaps.

Education: Rethinking What Schools Can Do

Massachusetts: The Community Schools Model

Boston and several other Massachusetts cities have expanded the community schools model — an approach that transforms school buildings into neighborhood hubs offering health services, adult education, after-school programming, and family support resources alongside traditional academic instruction. Early data from community school programs nationally suggests meaningful improvements in attendance, academic performance, and family engagement. Massachusetts is demonstrating that schools need not be isolated institutions but can serve as anchors of comprehensive community support.

Tennessee: Early Childhood Investment Paying Dividends

Tennessee's voluntary pre-kindergarten program, though subject to ongoing academic debate regarding its long-term effects, has prompted a broader statewide conversation about the economic returns on early childhood investment. Legislators and business leaders alike have engaged with research suggesting that high-quality early education produces measurable long-term benefits in educational attainment, workforce participation, and reduced public expenditure on remediation. Tennessee's experience illustrates how evidence-based advocacy can shift political conversations in states not traditionally associated with progressive social policy.

New Hampshire: Competency-Based Education

New Hampshire has emerged as a national leader in competency-based education, a model that allows students to advance based on demonstrated mastery of material rather than time spent in a classroom. The state has granted school districts significant flexibility to redesign their academic programs around this framework, producing a diverse range of local implementations. Early results have been encouraging, particularly for students who learn at non-standard paces. New Hampshire's approach represents a meaningful departure from the standardized testing paradigm that has dominated education policy for two decades.

What These Innovations Share

Across healthcare, infrastructure, and education, the most effective local and state initiatives of 2017 share several characteristics worth noting. They tend to be evidence-driven, drawing on data and research rather than ideological assumption. They are frequently bipartisan in their political support, having succeeded in building coalitions that include voices from across the traditional political spectrum. And they are, almost without exception, responsive to the specific circumstances of the communities they serve rather than imported wholesale from national policy templates.

This last point deserves particular emphasis. The strength of the American federal system lies precisely in its capacity to accommodate diverse local conditions and preferences. A policy framework that works in Los Angeles may require substantial adaptation before it is appropriate for rural Nevada. A healthcare model suited to Maryland's dense, relatively affluent population may not transfer directly to Mississippi. Effective national leadership does not mean imposing uniform solutions but rather creating the conditions under which local innovation can flourish and successful models can be identified and supported.

A Platform Built on What Works

At PDP 2017, our commitment is to a political platform grounded in the actual experiences of American communities — one that takes its cues from what is demonstrably working at the local and state level rather than from abstract ideological commitments. The governors, mayors, county commissioners, and civic leaders featured in this guide are not waiting for Washington to solve their constituents' problems. They are building solutions, testing them against reality, and sharing what they learn.

That is the spirit that has always driven American progress. It is the spirit that should animate any serious effort to build a platform for every American.