It is vital that state legislatures control their spending habits. The surpluses that are bound to appear again when the economy picks up steam will be a temptation to those who like big government. Strong spending restraints are very popular with voters in the states in which they have been tried. Legislators would be well advised to keep that in mind next time they risk alienating taxpayers by creating an expensive new government program

More on State and Local Fiscal Policy

Commentary

Why Indiana Shouldn’t Fall for Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion

By Michael F. Cannon. Indianapolis Star. April 24, 2013.

Medicaid Expansion: Tennessee Would be Wise to Reject It

By Michael D. Tanner. Chattanooga Times Free Press. April 11, 2013.

Three Cheers for Governor Bobby Jindal’s Plan to Abolish the Income Tax

By Daniel J. Mitchell. RealClearPolitics.com. March 18, 2013.

Cato Studies

50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop the Obama Health Care Law

By Michael F. Cannon. White Paper. March 21, 2013.

Infrastructure Investment: A State, Local, and Private Responsibility

By Chris Edwards. Tax and Budget Bulletin No. 67. January 18, 2013.

Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2012

By Chris Edwards. White Paper. October 9, 2012.

Articles

Taxation Without Representation: The Illegal IRS Rule to Expand Tax Credits under the PPACA

Jonathan H. Adler and Michael F. Cannon. Health Matrix. Vol. 23. No. 1. 2013.

Do Budget Shortfalls Mean States Must Raise Taxes?

Chris Edwards. CQ Researcher. Fall 2009.

Public Filings

Kerr v. Hickenlooper

By David B. Kopel and Ilya Shapiro. Legal Briefs. February 8, 2013.

The PPACA’s Health Insurance Exchanges and Medicaid Expansion

By Michael F. Cannon. Testimony. January 22, 2013.

The Illegal IRS Rule to Increase Taxes & Spending under ObamaCare

By Michael F. Cannon and Jonathan H. Adler. Testimony. August 2, 2012.

Events

Which States Are Most Free?

Featuring John Samples. June 8, 2011. Policy Forum.

The Wealth of Cities: Revitalizing the Centers of American Life

Featuring . August 3, 1998. Book Forum.

Downsizing the Federal Government

Community Development

By Tad DeHaven. June 2009.

Economic Development Administration

By Tad DeHaven. February 2009.