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Research report

Sustainable Budgeting in the States: Evidence on State Budget Institutions and Practices

Megan Randall, Kim S. Rueben
November 28, 2017
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Abstract

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 literature on budgeting timelines, baselines and forecasting; budget requirements and restrictions; and budget transparency measures to identify best practices and curate an evidence-based toolkit for policymakers to produce healthy state budgets. It discusses how political context and institutions affect budgets and the role of budget influencers across various government branches and outside interest groups. A review of the literature suggests that states should focus on sustainable systems, design, evidence and implementation to improve budget practices and fiscal outcomes.

Research Area

State and Local Issues State and local budgets
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Meet the Experts

  • Megan Randall
    Research Associate
  • Kim S. Rueben
    Sol Price Fellow
Research report

New Evidence on The Effect of The TCJA On the Housing Market

Robert McClelland, Livia Mucciolo, Safia Sayed
March 30, 2022
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