Below is a list of studies organized by topic, pertaining to the fiscal situation of Massachusetts. Please take some time to browse through the list and see what other organizations are saying about the state of affairs in the commonwealth.

Good Government

A ranking from the Sunlight Foundation on how transparent each state is: http://openstates.org/reportcard/

A ranking of all 50 governors performed by the Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/fiscal-policy-report-card-americas-governors-2018

General Economy

This study from the Pioneer Institute looks at various characteristics of the Massachusetts economy: http://pioneerinstitute.org/download/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-eight-patrick-administration-budgets-later/

This report from the Mercatus Institute compares the fiscal condition of the fifty states: https://www.mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings

A CNBC ranking of all 50 states on competitiveness measures: https://www.cnbc.com/americas-top-states-for-business/

Taxes

A study from the Tax Foundation looking at marginal capital gains tax rates in the fifty states: http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/FF414.pdf

A study from the Tax Foundation looking at tax information transparency in the fifty states: http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/ff365.pdf

Report from the Tax Foundation on sales taxes in the fifty states: http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/TaxFoundation_FF438.pdf

Spending 

A Cato Institute report on the fiscal state of education in Massachusetts: http://www.cato.org/cracking-books/massachusetts 

This study from statebudgetsolutions.org looks at state debt throughout the United States: http://www.statebudgetsolutions.org/publications/detail/state-budget-solutions-fourth-annual-state-debt-report

A study by the Beacon Hill Institute about the impact of so-called "prevailing wage" laws: http://www.beaconhill.org/BHIStudies/PrevWage08/DavisBaconPrevWage080207Final.pdf

A Cato Institute study on the effects welfare programs have on work: http://www.cato.org/publications/white-paper/work-versus-welfare-trade

Regulation

A report from The Economist on the varying difficulty in starting a business in each of the fifty states: http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21606293-small-businesses-fret-less-about-taxes-over-regulation-red-tape-blues

Pensions

This study from the Pioneer Institute takes a close look at the MBTA’s pension plans: http://pioneerinstitute.org/download/myths-and-reality-about-mbta-pensions/

This scorecard from the Urban Institute gives each state plans a letter grade based on various characteristics of their public pension plans: http://datatools.urban.org/features/SLEPP/index.html

This study from the Pioneer Institute takes a close look at the public pension plans for teachers in Massachusetts: http://pioneerinstitute.org/download/the-costs-of-delaying-the-funding-of-public-pensions-in-massachusetts/

This study from the Heartland Institute grades states based on their public pension plans: http://heartland.org/sites/all/modules/custom/heartland_migration/files/pdfs/27578.pdf

Infrastructure

A report from the Reason Foundation comparing state highway systems: http://reason.org/files/21st_annual_highway_report.pdf

Minimum Wage 

A study from AIM looking at the effects of minimum age increases on employers.: http://blog.aimnet.org/aim-issueconnect/raising-minimum-wage-would-boost-costs-for-majority-of-employers

A study from the Employment Policies Institute on the campaign to increase the minimum wage to $15: https://www.epionline.org/release/faces-of-15-small-businesses-and-people-they-employ-are-real-victims-of-minimum-wage-movement/

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance's efforts to provide more and better information to Bay State residents about how their government works -- or doesn't! -- takes many forms.

Op-Eds and Press Releases

All of our op-ed articles and press releases are published when they are released to our blog.

Testimony on Legislation

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance staff often testify on legislation pending before the legislature. You can find our most recent efforts, which pertain to MBTA reform, by clicking here.

Radio Ads

During the month of May, MFA will begin a program of radio advertisements designed to promote its voter education efforts and scorecard. The ads will appear on the regionally-syndicated Howie Carr Show.

Useful Studies

Our list of interesting articles and studies pertaining to our mission and core issues is always being updated. Check back soon for more!

Voter Education Program

We educate the public on how candidates and incumbent lawmakers vote on key issues. If a candidate does not yet have a voting record, we use their responses from candidate questionnaires.