Balancing the Budget: Our Volcker Alliance Partnership
About our Work
The Center for State and Local Finance (CSLF) at Georgia State University partners with the New York-based Volcker Alliance to conduct studies that aim to improve budgeting practices and fiscal sustainability in all 50 states.
The Truth and Integrity in Government Finance project examines the fiscal practices of state governments to improve overall governance, public transparency, and sustainability. Since 2016, CSLF has led research on states primarily in the South, while training graduate research assistants in the immersive data-gathering and technical writing needed to conduct these investigations, serving as a resource for other universities, and conducting public presentations to engage and inform stakeholders. The principal researcher is Alex Hathaway, who specializes in state fiscal health.
The center also builds from its Volcker Alliance-related work into a series of publications detailing the fiscal health in the South. Topics include rainy day funds, retiree health costs, revenue forecasting, and fiscal transparency.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Volcker Alliance began a series of issue papers covering timely aspects of how the pandemic and its impact affect short- and long-term fiscal practices and sustainability for U.S. states. For this series, Alex Hathaway and AYSPS associate professor Can Chen contributed the report State Tax Cuts After the Pandemic: Strategies to Sustain Fiscal Health.
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“The Volcker Aliance’s work in public finance is a necessary push toward a better, more responsible government. Georgia State is proud to take a leading role in this effort.
The Center for State and Local Finance’s research offers a clearer picture of state fiscal practices not only in the South but across the nation.
We hope our work spurs state governments to improve transparency practices and leads to greater citizen trust and engagement.”
Alex Hathaway
For more information, email [email protected].
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State Tax Cuts After the Pandemic: Strategies to Sustain Fiscal Health
February 2024 | Can Chen and Alex Hathaway (for the Volcker Alliance)
Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: Preparing for the Storm
March 2021 | The Volcker Alliance (with the Center for State and Local Finance)
Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: The Balancing Act
February 2020 | The Volcker Alliance (with the Center for State and Local Finance)
Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: Preventing the Next Fiscal Crisis
December 2018 | The Volcker Alliance (with the Center for State and Local Finance)
Best Practices in Georgia’s Budgeting and Financial Management
November 2018 | Alex Hathaway | Center for State and Local Finance
Budget Maneuvers in the Southern States
October 2018 | Alex Hathaway and Jesseca Lighbourne | Center for State and Local Finance
Reserve Fund Policies in the Southern States
September 2018 | Bethel Habte, Alex Hathaway and Jesseca Lighbourne | Center for State and Local Finance
OPEB Funding Challenges: The U.S. Postal Service
September 2018 | Alex Hathaway | Center for State and Local Finance
OPEB Funding in the Southern States
August 2018 | Alex Hathaway | Center for State and Local Finance
Revenue Forecasting Practices in the Southern States
August 2018 | Emily Franklin and Alex Hathaway | Center for State and Local Finance
Fiscal Transparency and Accessibility in the Southern States
July 2018 | Anna Sexton and Alex Hathaway | Center for State and Local Finance
Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: What is the Reality?
November 2017 | The Volcker Alliance (with the Center for State and Local Finance)
The Future of Public Finance
In September 2019, the Center for State and Local Finance presented at the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management annual conference in Washington, D.C. The panel hosted a lively discussion about the future of public finance among the university principal investigators from the Truth and Integrity in Government Finance project. They participants talked about the successes and failures they have noted in state-level financial management. CSLF Presenter: Alex Hathaway
Legacy Cost Transparency
In March 2019, the Center for State and Local Finance presented at the American Society for Public Administration conference in Washington, D.C. The panel presentation expanded a previous paper about legacy costs. Presenter: Alex Hathaway
Fiscal Transparency and Legacy Costs
In October 2018, the Center for State and Local Finance presented at the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management conference in Denver, Colorado. The panel presentation focused on comparative fiscal health of pensions and other postemployment benefits. Presenter: Alex Hathaway
Fiscal Transparency Across the States: A Volcker Alliance Paper
In April 2018, the Center for State and Local Finance presented at the Western Social Science Association Conference in Austin, Texas. The panel presentation focused on fiscal transparency in the Southeast. Presenter: Alex Hathaway
The Volcker Alliance’s Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting Report
In November 2017, the Volcker Alliance presented findings from its Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting report at a Georgia State conference hosted by S&P Global Ratings. Presenter: William Glasgall
State of the Southeastern States: The Volcker Alliance Project
In November 2017, the Center for State and Local Finance presented ongoing research — focused on the Southern U.S. — on fiscal transparency, forecasting, and legacy costs, among other topics — at a Georgia State conference hosted by S&P Global Ratings. Presenter: Alex Hathaway
Revenue Forecasting Practices: Accuracy, Transparency and Political Acceptance
The Center for State and Local Finance presented research on revenue forecasting — done in partnership with the Volcker Alliance — during the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management conference in September 2017. Presenter: Emily Franklin
Fiscal Transparency and Accountability
The Center for State and Local Finance presented preliminary findings on state fiscal transparency — done in partnership with the Volcker Alliance — during the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management in September 2017. Presenter: Alex Hathaway
News and Announcements
Volcker Alliance Releases Third Budgeting Report
State Budgeting Research Moves into Fourth Year
CSLF Expands Volcker Alliance Research on Government Fiscal Integrity
Georgia State University Releases New “Volcker Series” Reports
Georgia Bests its Peers in Avoiding Suspicious, One-Time Budget Grabs
Volcker Alliance Grades 50 U.S. States on Budget Practices and Transparency
Volcker, Ravitch Meet with Academics to Study State Budget Research
CSLF, Volcker Alliance Team Up for Analysis of 50 State Budgets