Coronavirus relief or 鈥榖ailout鈥�? The debate over aid to states.
As Congress considers further coronavirus aid, some lawmakers worry that states may use federal money to solve聽prepandemic budgetary problems.
鈥淲hy should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?鈥� President Donald Trump in late April.
But while many states with deep pension debts are left of center, says Christopher Mooney, a professor of state politics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, that doesn鈥檛 mean more aid would amount to 鈥渂lue state bailouts.鈥�
Why We Wrote This
There鈥檚 debate in Washington over whether to prioritize emergency relief or fiscal responsibility. Specifically, should aid be withheld from states that have poor fiscal track records? Our infographic sheds light on the controversy.
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.
For one thing, the response to COVID-19 has created a genuine fiscal emergency.
Also, data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York shows that Democratic states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut pay the federal government far more than they receive each year. And some deep-red states such as Alabama and Mississippi, meanwhile, get much more than they give.聽
The imbalances largely stem from demographics. America鈥檚 progressive tax system means that residents in wealthy states (often heavily urban and Democratic-controlled) pay higher federal taxes than those in other states.聽Meanwhile, urban-oriented states聽usually聽have high demands for public services 鈥撀燼nd hence聽relatively high spending by state and local governments, says Professor Mooney.
In other words, ideology may give directions but demographics are in the driver鈥檚 seat.
And when it comes to how states are managed, says Professor Mooney, that will almost always be a matter of opinion.聽
鈥淲hen you start throwing out words like 鈥榳ell run鈥� or 鈥榩oorly run,鈥� unless you have very specific criteria in mind ... it鈥檚 subjective by definition,鈥� he says.
U.S. Federal Reserve, Rockefeller Institute of Government, Ballotpedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service,聽all our coronavirus coverage聽is free. No paywall.
