Fiscal & Economic Policy

The White House repealed a federal standard today which required that bridges, schools, fire stations, roads, and other public infrastructure be built to withstand increasing flood risks. As the administration considers a plan to improve infrastructure, eliminating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard means losing a prudent policy that would have reduced taxpayers’ exposure to damage... Read More

State officials often choose to borrow money to finance large expenses, such as expanding a congested highway or replacing defunct wastewater treatment plants. By distributing the cost of a large investment over many years, governments can free up cash on hand to meet their current day-to-day expenses. Borrowing for long-lasting infrastructure, primarily by issuing bonds, also spreads the cost... Read More

Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis, an interactive resource from The Pew Charitable Trusts, allows you to sort and analyze data on key fiscal, economic, and demographic trends in the 50 states and understand their impact on states’ fiscal health. Read More

States have made strides in rebuilding their rainy day funds since the Great Recession, but most still have smaller total balances on hand than they did before the downturn. At the close of fiscal year 2016, total balances in states’ general fund budgets—including rainy day funds—could run government operations for a median of 36.2 days, still less than the median of 41.3 days... Read More

Pew’s Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis presents 50-state data on key fiscal, economic, and demographic indicators and analyzes their impact on states’ long-term fiscal health. Drill down into state finances in five core areas. Read More

The White House repealed a federal standard today which required that bridges, schools, fire stations, roads, and other public infrastructure be built to withstand increasing flood risks. As the administration considers a plan to improve infrastructure, eliminating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard means losing a prudent policy that would have reduced taxpayers’ exposure to damage... Read More

State officials often choose to borrow money to finance large expenses, such as expanding a congested highway or replacing defunct wastewater treatment plants. By distributing the cost of a large investment over many years, governments can free up cash on hand to meet their current day-to-day expenses. Borrowing for long-lasting infrastructure, primarily by issuing bonds, also spreads the cost... Read More

States have made strides in rebuilding their rainy day funds since the Great Recession, but most still have smaller total balances on hand than they did before the downturn. At the close of fiscal year 2016, total balances in states’ general fund budgets—including rainy day funds—could run government operations for a median of 36.2 days, still less than the median of 41.3 days... Read More

Pew’s Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis presents 50-state data on key fiscal, economic, and demographic indicators and analyzes their impact on states’ long-term fiscal health. Drill down into state finances in five core areas. Read More

One of the longest U.S. economic expansions has lifted personal income in all states above pre-recession levels. But growth has varied, ranging from a constant annual rate of 0.7 percent in Illinois and Nevada to 4.2 percent in North Dakota. In eight states, personal income fell over the year ending in the first quarter of 2017, as U.S. growth remained slow—less than half the rate seen two... Read More

We look forward to seeing you at the NCSL Legislative Summit in Boston! Please visit Booth 545 in the exhibit hall to learn about The Pew Charitable Trusts’ work in all 50 states and meet policy experts on issues including fiscal and economic policy, public pensions, evidence-based policymaking, and health policy. Read More

Philadelphia: From engineering to public policy to the internet, human ingenuity and invention are constantly changing lives. Yet new knowledge—and innovative ways to live and work that are the result of technological change—also presents new dilemmas. On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 contributors to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ latest issue of Trend magazine discussed how modern... Read More

Policymakers in Washington are working out the details of a potential tax reform proposal. The last major overhaul of the federal tax code was the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which had a significant—and often forgotten—impact on state tax policy and revenue.  Read More

To minimize the need for uncomfortable choices between raising taxes or cutting spending, 48 states have created budget stabilization funds—rainy day funds—that take advantage of boom times by directing surplus revenue into savings that can offset future shortfalls. However, many of these funds lack rules to effectively smooth the ups and downs in revenue. Designing a robust fund, and... Read More

While 27 states conduct debt affordability studies, only nine produce studies with all the necessary elements to give policymakers a clear understanding of their state’s debt levels, according to a report released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Read More

Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis, an interactive resource from The Pew Charitable Trusts, allows you to sort and analyze data on key fiscal, economic, and demographic trends in the 50 states and understand their impact on states’ fiscal health. Read More

Taxes and federal funds together account for 81 percent of revenue for the 50 states. Taxes are the largest revenue source in 46 states, while federal funds are greatest in three. But neither is the primary contributor to government coffers in one state: Alaska. This infographic displays a breakdown of each state's revenue, by major categories. Read More

Taxes make up about half of state government revenue, with the bulk coming from levies on personal income and general sales of goods and services. Broad-based personal income taxes are the greatest source of tax dollars in 28 of the 41 states that impose them, with the highest share—69.6 percent—in Oregon. General sales taxes are the largest source in 17 of the 45... Read More

In this animated video, learn about the Results First Initiative, which, since 2011, has partnered with states and counties across the country to help them incorporate the use of evidence in their budgeting and policymaking processes—helping to improve outcomes and make the most of limited resources. Read More

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