<p>Pew Center on the States is examining how best to help states develop an economic competitiveness agenda.</p> http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room.aspx <p>Every state offers tax incentives to attract, retain, and expand businesses and jobs. But no state ensures that policy makers rely on good evidence about whether these investments deliver a strong return, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States. The study comes at a time when most states are trying to rebuild their budgets and many have not regained private-sector jobs lost during the Great Recession.</p> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899381167&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Pew: States Rely Heavily on Tax Incentives, but Few Evaluate Whether They Work&WT.z_contenttype=PressRelease <p>Policy makers spend billions of dollars annually on tax incentives for economic development, but no state ensures that policy makers rely on good evidence about whether these investments deliver a strong return. This report concludes that 13 states are leading the way in generating much-needed answers about tax incentives’ effectiveness.</p> Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899381162&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Evidence Counts: Evaluating State Tax Incentives for Jobs and Growth&WT.z_contenttype=Report <p>Harrisburg, PA recently filed for bankruptcy, raising fears that other cities and towns may follow suit. Pennsylvania’s capital provides an example of the structural problems, political gridlock and unfortunate events that, over time, can push a city into an extraordinary crisis. But even though many cities and counties are under financial pressure, bankruptcies among the more than 50,000 governments that issue municipal debt remain extremely rare. Even the Great Recession has not sparked a dramatic increase in bankruptcies, according to this new infographic from the Pew Center on the States.</p> Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:18:16 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899365417&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Harrisburg and a Brief History of Municipal Bankruptcies&WT.z_contenttype=Report <p>A Bloomberg BusinessWeek article about the problems found in basing decisions on faulty forecasting highlights the Pew Center on the States' report "Cracks in the Crystal Ball".</p> Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:29:31 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899363123&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=S&P and the Trouble with Forecasting&WT.z_contenttype=NewsArticle Kil Huh, Pew Center on the States research director, appeared on the PBS NewsHour to discuss the effect of a federal default on state budgets. Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:15:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899362292&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Party Leaders Dismiss Rival Debt Plans as Debate Hits Home Stretch&WT.z_contenttype=AVWebcast <p>The issue brief "The Debt Ceiling Debate: How a Federal Default Could Impact States and Cities" examines how a failure to reach an agreement to raise the federal debt limit would impact cities and states.</p> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:25:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899362020&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=The Debt Ceiling Debate: How a Federal Default Could Impact States and Cities&WT.z_contenttype=Report <p>States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions about what results this investment is generating, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation.</p> Tue, 10 May 2011 21:00:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=85899359654&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results&WT.z_contenttype=Report <p>States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions about what results this investment is generating, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation.</p> Tue, 10 May 2011 12:51:24 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=85899359655&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=Many States Fail to Measure Performance of Transportation Dollars&WT.z_contenttype=PressRelease <p>The Pew Center on the States’ researchers and journalists are working to help states facing difficult economic conditions find the way to short- and long-term fiscal stability.</p> Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:05:00 GMT http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=61905&WT.rss_ev=f&WT.rss_f=Economic Competitiveness&WT.rss_a=In the States: Fiscal Challenges Continue (Fall 2010 Trust Magazine Article)&WT.z_contenttype=Summary Terms and Conditions Page http://www.pewtrusts.org/terms_and_conditions.aspx