The Pew Charitable Trusts illuminates states’ fiscal challenges through research, including comprehensive 50-state assessments. In these assessments we rate the states on their performance, highlighting effective approaches and creating pressure for reform. Our team uses its expertise to examine the three key areas of state finances—revenues, expenditures, and borrowing. Our goal is to provide data, analysis, and guidance to help states recover in the short term and maintain fiscal sustainability in the long term.
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RESEARCH from the Project
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- Q & A
- States' Fiscal Health
Sue Urahn: State Pensions and Retirement Benefits
Sue Urahn, managing director for the Pew Center on the States, discusses what progress has been made, suggests actions states must take and offers solutions states should consider.
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- Q & A
- States' Fiscal Health
Kil Huh: The Federal Debt Deal Crucial for States
Kil Huh explains how the federal debt deal may affect the states when Congress returned from its 2011 summer recess. more
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July 1, 2011
The Debt Ceiling Debate
This brief examines how a potential default by the federal government could present serious challenges to states and cities. more
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- Video
- States' Fiscal Health
Experts Discuss State Pension and Retiree Health Care Costs
Experts explore the long-term challenges of public sector retirement costs at a Pew Center on the States conference. more
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- Q & A
- States' Fiscal Health
Kil Huh: State Pensions and Retiree Benefits
Research Director Kil Huh answers five questions about what governors and legislators are doing to meet the challenges of pensions and retiree health care costs.
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- Data Visualizations
- States' Fiscal Health
Measuring Transportation Results
States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions about what returns this investment is generating. more
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April 25, 2011
The Widening Gap
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money set aside to pay for them grew to at least $1.26 trillion in fiscal year 2009—a 26 percent increase in one year—according to a Pew report.
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- Data Visualizations
- States' Fiscal Health
A Decade of Pension Reforms
The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money set aside to pay for them grew to at least $1.26 trillion in fiscal year 2009—a 26 percent increase in one year—according to a Pew report.
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- Report
- States' Fiscal Health
States’ Revenue Estimating
This 2011 report examined state estimates for three major revenue sources—income taxes, sales taxes and corporate taxes—that comprise 72 percent of states’ total tax revenues. more
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- Report
- States' Fiscal Health
Facing Facts
An analysis of public attitudes toward fiscal problems in five diverse states—Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois and New York—shows residents have strikingly similar priorities for state government, but their preferences clash with fiscal reality.
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