Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors 2020

Abstract

Going into 2020, the United States was in its 11th year of economic expansion and state governments were enjoying robust revenue and spending growth. Then COVID-19 hit and triggered a deep recession. State governments have seen their projected revenues decline and have started trimming spending to keep their 2021 budgets balanced. Some states had accumulated large rainy day funds and were prepared for the downturn, but other states have been overspending, accumulating debt, and saving little for the rainy day that has now arrived.

Keywords: governor, governor report card, COVID-19, coronavirus, rainy day, debt, taxes, state spending

JEL Classification: H20, H21, H29, H40, H41, H42, H43, H49, H50, H51, H53, H59