Are State and Local Governments in a Strong Fiscal Position?
Dupor, Bill (2024-02-08)
Federal fiscal assistance in the COVID-19 pandemic has increased states’ budget surplus and raised recent state and local government spending above trend.
On the Economy

Working Paper
The Impact of Weather on Local Government Spending
Zhao, Bo (2022-09-01)
While there is a new and rapidly growing literature on the effects of climatic factors on economic and social outcomes, little research has been conducted to understand the fiscal impact of weather, especially at the sub-state level. Using data from Massachusetts municipalities from 1990 through 2019, this paper estimates government spending as a function of temperature and precipitation while controlling for municipality and year fixed effects and municipality-specific time trends. The results show that weather has statistically significant and economically meaningful effects on local ...
Working Papers , Paper 22-22

Report
The Effects of Weather on Massachusetts Municipal Expenditures: Implications of Climate Change for Local Governments in New England
Zhao, Bo (2022-12-01)
In New England, municipal governments provide a variety of public services that are vital to residents and businesses, such as public works, police and fire services, and general government administration. However, the region and its local governments face an increasing threat from climate change. As recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New England states have become hotter and wetter and have experienced an increased number of extreme precipitation events since 1900. Rising temperatures and more frequent extreme precipitation events are projected for the region ...
New England Public Policy Center Research Report , Paper 22-2