As the decennial census gets underway, a recent analysis by the Brookings Institution underscores the ability of states to maximize their federal grant revenues by maximizing their population counts.
January 2010, Volume 28, Issue 2
States and the Census
A Gratitude for Debt
Among the tried-and-true strategies states employ during economic downturns is to shift spending from the operating to the capital budget, where it can be financed over a longer time horizon. States vary considerably in their current levels of debt, their recent increases in the use of debt, and their measured creditworthiness. All of these factors affect their ability to employ this strategy during the current downturn.
