Fiscal & Economic Policy

Please join us as we launch a new line of work centered around student loans with an expert discussion of which borrowers are most at risk for delinquency and default, what research is needed to address tough questions, and where policymakers should focus their efforts.  Read More

Health care delivered to incarcerated individuals has far-reaching implications, so monitoring its quality is an important element of high-performing correctional systems. Read More

Eager to strengthen the long-term financial health of their public-sector pension systems, officials in several states have embraced a nonpartisan, data-driven approach to more precisely assess their ability to fulfill the benefit promises made to public employees. Read More

Massachusetts can better respond to the opioid epidemic and address the state’s behavioral health needs by boosting training for health and law enforcement professionals, fostering violence prevention programs in schools, and providing support for those who intervene routinely with people in need of help, according to a new report from the state’s Promote Prevent Commission. 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

Health care delivered to incarcerated individuals has far-reaching implications, so monitoring its quality is an important element of high-performing correctional systems. Read More

Eager to strengthen the long-term financial health of their public-sector pension systems, officials in several states have embraced a nonpartisan, data-driven approach to more precisely assess their ability to fulfill the benefit promises made to public employees. Read More

Massachusetts can better respond to the opioid epidemic and address the state’s behavioral health needs by boosting training for health and law enforcement professionals, fostering violence prevention programs in schools, and providing support for those who intervene routinely with people in need of help, according to a new report from the state’s Promote Prevent Commission. 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

A decade after the start of the Great Recession, 34 states—the most yet—were taking in more tax revenue at the end of 2017 than before receipts plunged in the downturn, after accounting for inflation. Total state collections surged in the fourth quarter, but some of the spike was temporary as taxpayers rushed to take advantage of certain federal tax breaks set to be curtailed in 2018. Read More

Please join us as we launch a new line of work centered around student loans with an expert discussion of which borrowers are most at risk for delinquency and default, what research is needed to address tough questions, and where policymakers should focus their efforts.  Read More

Concerned about private-sector employees’ lack of retirement savings and the potential impact on poverty levels, and subsequently on state budgets, legislators in nine states—California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington—have enacted programs designed to remedy both problems. Read More

A new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts examines the pension reforms that helped Detroit emerge from bankruptcy in 2014 and suggests ways in which the city can strengthen its retirement plans for general employees and public safety workers. Read More

Now that last year’s tax overhaul is the law of the land, its impact is spilling out beyond the nation’s capital to state governments. While the law is certain to affect state finances, the details are complicated and vary by state, and the effect on any given state remains to be seen. To help clarify this tangled set of issues, here are two key considerations for states as they take... Read More

From the White House to state houses to city halls, policymakers agree the nation needs greater infrastructure investment. What’s less clear is the most strategic and cost-effective way to pay for these investments. 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

How can states use data to make government work better? Known as a national leader for his efforts to make state government more efficient, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam shares what he’s learned over two terms about tripling the state’s rainy day fund, creating jobs, reforming the state’s juvenile justice system, and more. In this episode, we hear from the governor on how he... Read More

This interactive map highlights the state distribution of several federal tax deductions and credits. 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