Fiscal & Economic Policy

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 experienced vastly different tax revenue fluctuations over the past two decades, with the greatest year-to-year volatility in Alaska and the least in South Dakota. These swings can confound efforts to balance state budgets. This first-of-its-kind assessment controls for the effect of known state tax law changes to reveal the underlying volatility of each state’s total tax revenue and... Read More

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s appointment of an emergency manager to oversee financially distressed Atlantic City is among numerous state efforts to intervene in troubled communities to help them recover. Read More

This report advises states on how to design and implement tax incentive evaluation laws, so that these programs are studied regularly and rigorously and so that lawmakers can use the findings to improve economic development policy. Read More

From 2012 to 2014, 10 states and the District of Columbia passed laws that will require regular evaluation of tax incentives or will improve existing evaluation processes. As the passage of these 11 laws demonstrates, policymakers across the country are demanding better information. Read More

States experienced vastly different tax revenue fluctuations over the past two decades, with the greatest year-to-year volatility in Alaska and the least in South Dakota. These swings can confound efforts to balance state budgets. This first-of-its-kind assessment controls for the effect of known state tax law changes to reveal the underlying volatility of each state’s total tax revenue and... Read More

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s appointment of an emergency manager to oversee financially distressed Atlantic City is among numerous state efforts to intervene in troubled communities to help them recover. Read More

This report advises states on how to design and implement tax incentive evaluation laws, so that these programs are studied regularly and rigorously and so that lawmakers can use the findings to improve economic development policy. Read More

From 2012 to 2014, 10 states and the District of Columbia passed laws that will require regular evaluation of tax incentives or will improve existing evaluation processes. As the passage of these 11 laws demonstrates, policymakers across the country are demanding better information. Read More

Half of the states expected to have enough of a financial cushion at the end of fiscal year 2014 to cover at least 24 days of operating expenses, a partial rebound to the levels they had before the Great Recession. Read More

State leaders need better information to avoid unexpected budget challenges, identify programs that are effective, and modify or end programs that do not achieve their intended purpose. Read More

In 2013, Rhode Island's economic development strategy reached a turning point. Policymakers were coping with the fallout of a deal gone bad: A video game company in which the state had invested heavily went out of business, leaving taxpayers on the hook for tens of millions of dollars in costs with no benefit to show for it. Facing deep fiscal challenges, Rhode Island policymakers understood that... Read More

Detroit's bankruptcy has added urgency to the discussion of how state and local governments should respond when a municipality faces financial distress. Read More

The report, "State Employee Health Plan Spending: An examination of premiums, cost drivers and policy approaches," found that paying for employee health insurance is second only to Medicaid as a portion of states’ overall health care spending. Read More

As federal policymakers consider corporate tax reform, it is important to understand how proposed changes might affect state tax revenue and how that impact could interact with federal policy goals. 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

Is your state ready for a rainy day? If not, policymakers may face tough choices, like cutting funding for schools and road construction, or raising taxes. To help states prepare, The Pew Charitable Trusts has identified three steps to strengthen state reserves. The key: planning for tax revenue volatility when designing a rainy day savings fund. Read More

This interactive tool follows three typical people—Mike, Sarah, and Jen—as they go about their day. They are all responsible with money, but their budgets are a little tight. We will explore how, depending on where they bank, their experiences with overdraft fees can differ dramatically, and why it pays to know your institution's policies and practices. Click on a character to start. Read More

The Iowa Department of Corrections partnered in 2011 with the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative to build a cost-benefit analysis model to compare programs based on effectiveness, cost, and expected benefits. This video documents Iowa's progress in implementing its Results First model and highlights the state's accomplishments as of the summer of 2014. Read More

USPS Inspector General David Williams Discusses Proposal for Financial Services at the Post Office Read More