Kimberly L. Nelson is Professor of Public Administration and Government in the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. Dr. Nelson's research on form of government, corruption, and innovation has been published in Public Administration Review, The American Review of Public Administration, State and Local Government Review, and other journals. As a member of the Center for Public Leadership and Governance, she conducts training and provides advice on leadership and management topics. Dr. Nelson is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, co-editor of State and Local Government Review, and serves on the editorial boards of Public Administration Review and The American Review of Public Administration.

Whitney B. Afonso is Professor of Public Administration and Government in the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. Dr. Afonso's research focuses on state and local public finance with an emphasis on local sales taxes. Her work has been published in Public Administration Review, National Tax Journal, Public Budgeting & Finance, American Review of Public Administration, and other journals. She serves on the executive committee of the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management and on the editorial boards of Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and Public Budgeting & Finance. In addition to her traditional research and teaching, Dr. Afonso's position at UNC engages her with elected officials and practitioners within the state.