Leading Bipartisan Solutions

The United States was built on a foundational conviction: that a nation of free people, governed closest to home, unleashes the ingenuity and enterprise that no centralized system can replicate. Our federal system allows 55 states, territories and commonwealths to serve as sovereign laboratories of democracy, each competing and innovating in pursuit of a more prosperous society.

Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) serves the nation’s governors and promotes state-based policy solutions that promote national progress. NGA envisions a strong civic system that is defined by partnership and collaboration, protecting states’ individual freedoms and empowering governors to serve. NGA connects states to each other and to leadership across both the public and private sectors to promote best practices and develop real solutions to our nation’s most pressing public policy challenges.

Driving Policy Innovation and State-Federal Relations

The National Governors Association is home to the Center for Best Practices. As the nation’s preeminent state-focused policy and technical assistance organization, the center provides states with highly responsive and customized best practice research and information sharing, strategic planning support, and timely information from federal partners and subject matter experts. It is the only research and development team that directly serves our nation’s governors.  

NGA also ensures that governors’ views and voices shape federal policy. NGA serves as a liaison to Congress and executive branch agencies, providing legislative analysis, tracking grant opportunities, and coordinating state advocacy in close partnership with governors and state and local government organizations.

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