State and Local Government Financial Analysis and Management

With the widely publicized financial problems of several states and cities as evidence, it is obvious that greater attention must be paid to state and local government finances.  State and local governments are hard‑pressed to maintain balanced budgets without having to eliminate provision of essential public services.  Frequent and severe economic fluctuations, taxpayer resistance to the cost of government services, mandates, and decreasing financial aid from the federal government make the need for more efficiency and economy in government urgent and sound financial management essential.

State and Local Government Financial Analysis and Management aims to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental fiscal issues confronting state and local administrators and policy-makers, and with the basic technical knowledge and skills required of entry-level professionals in budget and finance offices, legislative agencies, and other organizations associated with the state-local finance function.  This program-of-study familiarizes students with key institutions involved in state-local finance, application of analytical techniques to fiscal issues, and fiscal data sources.

Among the current research and consulting activities of core faculty are projects involving development of government revenue and expenditure forecasting methods; evaluation of the effects of state and local tax and expenditure limitations; assessing governments' credit-worthiness and ability to finance capital expenditures; state and local financing of environmental infrastructure; financing public employee-benefits; trends in the fiscal condition of central cities; evaluation of the impact of mandates and court orders on local finance; managing local fiscal decisions during the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe; school finance, equity and efficiency; and factors affecting the cost of public services.

While many students who complete this program accept budgeting and finance positions in state and local governments, others go to federal agencies that have responsibilities associated with state and local finance, public interest groups and professional organizations connected with state and local government, and private sector organizations involved in state and local finance. 

Faculty:

Ross Rubenstein, Advisor

Robert Bifulco

William Duncombe

Larry Schroeder

Sharon Kioko

John Yinger

Public Administration Courses:

Public Budgeting

Financial Management in State and Local Governments

State and Local Government Finance

Urban Policy

Metropolitan Government and Politics

Managing Individual/Group/Systemic Conflicts

Education Policy

Public Administration and Law

Regulatory Law and Policy

Public Policy Making: The Federal Perspective

Ethics and Public Policy

Related Courses in Maxwell:

ECONOMICS

Foundations of Econometrics

Econometrics I and II

Public Expenditures

Public Finance

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