Economic Competitiveness

Home/Our Work/State Policy and Performance/Economic Competitiveness

Economic Competitiveness

Do states have the right policies in place to be competitive in a global, 21st Century economy? This is a key question, because much of the policy innovation and hard work needed to cope with the challenges of globalization—building infrastructure, improving educational performance, strengthening cooperation between public and private institutions—is often best undertaken at the state level. It’s also the case that when the path toward necessary progress is blocked at the federal level, the states often step in.

But it’s still a brave new world for most governors and state economic development practitioners, and the Pew Center on the States is considering how it can best help states develop an economic competitiveness agenda.

Report

Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril

Nov 11, 2009 - California’s problems are in a league of their own. But the same pressures that drove it toward fiscal disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Driven by Dollars

Mar 24, 2009 - In this report, the Pew Center on the States analyzed Pennsylvania’s recent debate about leasing its turnpike as a case study to determine whether lawmakers had the information they needed to make a sound decision, and to highlight what other states can learn from those deliberations.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
The Hidden Costs of the Housing Crisis: The Long-Term Impact of Housing Affordability and Quality on Young Children’s Odds of Success

Dec 16, 2008 - This report, written for the Partnership for America’s Economic Success, examines the links between housing and education in the United States, focusing on implications for cost-effective policies that have a real impact.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Reading, Writing and Hungry

Nov 19, 2008 - Hungry children represent not only a moral crisis but also a dire educational and economic risk for the nation.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Issue Brief: The Hidden Costs of the Housing Crisis

Jul 09, 2008 - Without a safe, stable home to call their own, young children face tremendous obstacles to the critical cognitive, behavioral and social development that occurs during their earliest years.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Promises, Promises (Spring 2008 Trust Magazine article)

Apr 30, 2008 - The Pew Center on the States examines the rising cost of public-sector retirement benefits.

Read More
Dynamic Estimates of the Fiscal Effect of Investing in Early Childhood Programs

Feb 28, 2008 - Researchers estimate the long-term economic benefits of implementing early childhood development and enrichment programs.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Economic Costs of Early Childhood Poverty

Feb 28, 2008 - The researchers examine the economic impacts of raising families to, and above, the poverty line.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
The Economic Development Effects of Early Childhood Programs

Feb 28, 2008 - This research paper examines the long-term economic impact of investing in proven early childhood programs, and compares them to the economic impact of business subsidies.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Growth & Taxes

Jan 03, 2008 - Why outdated state tax systems undercut economic vitality, and what states can do about it.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Promises with a Price

Dec 18, 2007 - This groundbreaking report, Promises with a Price, provides first-of-its-kind data about the long-term costs of public sector benefits. It highlights which states are prepared to pay the significant bill coming due, which are not, and why it matters to state lawmakers and citizens alike.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Report: Investing in Children

Dec 03, 2007 - Issue brief and full report from the Partnership for America’s Economic Success showing that, between 2006 and 2017, the share of Gross Domestic Product that the federal government will invest in children is projected to decline by 14 to 29 percent.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Using Tax Credits to Promote High Quality Early Care and Education Services

Nov 20, 2007 - This research paper explores financing strategies for early childhood programs and proposes recommendations about how tax credit might be used.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)
Investing In Innovation Report

Jul 21, 2007 - The Pew Center on the States and the National Governors Association report on how states must accelerate their efforts to attract jobs, economic investment and a talented workforce.

Read: Summary View: Full Report (Adobe PDF)

E-Alerts & Newsletter

Stay updated with Pew News Now! We invite you to sign up to receive our weekly e-mail newsletter.

Public Policy Institute of California

Susan K. Urahn, Managing Director of the Pew Center on the States, speaks on the impact of the federal stimulus bill on state budgets at recent institute event.

[+] FEEDBACK