I am passionate about providing state and local policymakers with the evidence-based resources they need to respond effectively to fiscal policy challenges.
Debt limits are provisions that limit a state’s ability to take on new debt or debt service. This fact sheet describes the different rules that states use to limit debt and reviews evidence on how debt limits affect fiscal outcomes.
States use different methods to estimate how much revenue they will have available to spend in future years. This fact sheet describes different approaches to revenue forecasting and presents recommendations on how to improve forecasting accuracy and transparency.
Fluctuations in state revenue, especially unexpected ones, can compromise state services and contribute to overall fiscal instability. This fact sheet discusses the causes of state revenue volatility and how state tax and budget policy can either contribute to, or mitigate, it.
Supermajority budget rules require a state to obtain more than a majority vote of the legislature, typically two-thirds or three-fifths of the votes, to pass a budget bill. This fact sheet reviews evidence on how supermajority budget rules affect fiscal outcomes, such as late budgets and...
Tax and expenditure limits (TELs) are self-imposed restrictions that state governments create to restrict the amount they can tax or spend. This fact sheet describes how TELs vary across states and discusses evidence on whether TELs achieve their objective of restraining government growth.
States adopt a variety of budget practices to help define spending priorities and influence fiscal outcomes. However, not all budget practices achieve the desired fiscal objectives, and some practices may compromise states’ long-term fiscal sustainability. This report discusses evidence from the...
This fact sheet describes the more than $275 million economic development package that the state of Massachusetts and City of Boston offered to General Electric to influence its relocation from Fairfield, Connecticut to Boston in 2016.
COVID-19 is placing an unprecedented strain on local economies, hospital systems , health departments , and budgets . To weather the storm and continue to...
The California Legislature has moved to prohibit local governments from offering certain sales tax incentives to promote economic development and attract businesses, such as e-commerce...
Now that Amazon has finally chosen Long Island City, NY and Arlington, Virginia as co-winners in its second headquarters sweepstakes, it’s a good time to...
Last week, President Trump and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, a major supplier of LCD screens to Apple, would receive $3...
General Electric decided to relocate its headquarters from Fairfield, Connecticut, to Boston, Massachusetts, last year. To convince GE to make the move, state government agencies...
For all the buzz about urban revival and city economic health, it’s not all about trendy small plate restaurants or abandoned factories-turned-coworking spaces. Central cities...
