Issues of Government and Governance

Archives are institutional records with continuing value. Such records, in a government archives, can help provide context for public dialogue on the continuing issues of government and governance.

Each generation of Vermonters has debated, within the context of its social expectations and fiscal realities, such core issues as taxation, education, the economy, public health, the environment, and public safety.

Records from those debates are essential tools for measuring the consequences of past decisions and for informing our own public dialogues on these issues. Making those records accessible is a role of the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration.

As time allows we attempt to identify, select and present records that provide context for discussion of current issues. Selections will be made on the availability and conciseness of records, as well as how fully the range of viewpoints is presented.

These are, however, only selections. We hope enough interest will be generated to encourage further research within the actual records held by the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration. We not only add new issues as time permits, but also add to existing material if more, or better, documentation is found.