Local governments are doing better in North Carolina than in other fiscally challenged parts of the country. They have a little-known instrument of state government to thank for that. more

While states slowly recover in the wake of the Great Recession, local governments have been hit with a one-two punch: State aid and property taxes, which together account for more than half of local revenues, are dropping simultaneously for the first time since 1980.

In an era of persistent budget deficits, at least a dozen states are moving to adapt and implement a cutting-edge tool for policy research and analysis, beginning with criminal justice policy and eventually expanding to other areas. States are under increasing pressure to ensure that scarce resources are invested in programs that yield the best results. In addition, many policy makers are looking for information that would allow them to target cuts more strategically, rather than making across-the-board reductions that treat effective and ineffective programs alike.

This 2012 brief details how Results First, an initiative of the Pew Center on the States and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation with additional support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, helped other states implement Washington’s model for use in criminal justice. Over time, this model can be implemented in policy areas such as child welfare, health care, housing, Pre-K-12 education, mental health, public assistance, substance abuse, and teen birth-prevention programs.
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