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Rainy Day Funds and State Government Savings

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  • Knight, Brian
  • Levinson, Arik

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of rainy day funds (RDFs) on state savings behavior. We find that states with RDFs have higher total balances than states without such funds and also have higher balances after adoption than before adoption. Furthermore, RDF deposits increase total balances dollar-for-dollar. While we cannot rule out that states planning future savings may adopt RDFs, our findings are robust to the inclusion of measures of savings preferences. In sum, these funds appear to belong to the growing set of fiscal institutions with real fiscal and economic consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Knight, Brian & Levinson, Arik, 1999. "Rainy Day Funds and State Government Savings," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 52(3), pages 459-472, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:52:y:1999:i:3:p:459-72
    DOI: 10.1086/NTJ41789735
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Poterba, James M, 1994. "State Responses to Fiscal Crises: The Effects of Budgetary Institutions and Politics," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(4), pages 799-821, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sylvester Eijffinger, 2003. "How can the Stability and Growth Pact be improved to achieve both stronger discipline and higher flexibility?," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 38(1), pages 10-15, January.
    2. Craig, Steven G. & Hemissi, Wided & Mukherjee, Satadru & Sørensen, Bent E., 2016. "How do politicians save? Buffer-stock management of unemployment insurance finance," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 18-29.
    3. Jerch, Rhiannon & Kahn, Matthew E. & Lin, Gary C., 2023. "Local public finance dynamics and hurricane shocks," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    4. Marco Buti & Sylvester Eijffinger & Daniele Franco, 2003. "Revisiting the Stability and Growth Pact: grand design or internal adjustment?," European Economy - Economic Papers 2008 - 2015 180, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    5. Christopher Biolsi & H. Youn Kim, 2021. "Analyzing state government spending: balanced budget rules or forward-looking decisions?," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 28(4), pages 1035-1079, August.
    6. Seppo Honkapohja & Frank Westermann, 2009. "Fiscal Policy and Macroeconomic Stabilisation in the Euro Area: Possible Reforms of the Stability and Growth Pact and National Decision-Making Processes," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Seppo Honkapohja & Frank Westermann (ed.), Designing the European Model, chapter 6, pages 177-228, Palgrave Macmillan.
    7. Yilin Hou, 2005. "Fiscal Reserves and State Own-Source Expenditure in Downturn Years," Public Finance Review, , vol. 33(1), pages 117-144, January.
    8. Gonzalez, Christian Y. & Paqueo, Vicente B., 2003. "Social sector expenditures and rainy-day funds," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3131, The World Bank.
    9. Wagner, Gary A., 2003. "Are state budget stabilization funds only the illusion of savings?: Evidence from stationary panel data," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 213-238.
    10. Gary A. Wagner & Erick M. Elder, 2005. "The Role of Budget Stabilization Funds in Smoothing Government Expenditures over the Business Cycle," Public Finance Review, , vol. 33(4), pages 439-465, July.
    11. James R. Hines Jr., 2010. "State Fiscal Policies and Transitory Income Fluctuations," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 41(2 (Fall)), pages 313-350.
    12. Timothy J. Goodspeed, 2022. "Coping with extreme events: On solving decentralized budgetary crises," Working Papers. Collection A: Public economics, governance and decentralization 2210, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    13. Zhao, Bo, 2016. "Saving for a rainy day: Estimating the needed size of U.S. state budget stabilization funds," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 130-152.
    14. John D. Merrifield & Barry W. Poulson, 2016. "A Dynamic Scoring Simulation Analysis of How TEL Design Choices Impact Government Expansion," Journal of Economic and Financial Studies (JEFS), LAR Center Press, vol. 4(2), pages 60-68, April.
    15. Jürgen Rüttgers & Georg Milbradt & Helmut Seitz & Max Groneck & Wolfgang Kitterer & Markus C. Kerber, 2007. "Heavily indebted federal states: Is the introduction of clear debt ceilings the answer?," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 60(02), pages 03-19, January.
    16. Gary Wagner & Russell Sobel, 2006. "State budget stabilization fund adoption: Preparing for the next recession or circumventing fiscal constraints?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 177-199, January.
    17. Christian Gonzalez & Arik Levinson, 2003. "State Rainy Day Funds and the State Budget Crisis 2002-?," Working Papers gueconwpa~03-03-05, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    18. Gonzalez, Christian Y. & Rosenblatt, David & Webb, Steven B., 2002. "Stabilizing intergovernmental transfers in Latin America : a complement to national/subnational fiscal rules?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2869, The World Bank.
    19. Wilson, Matthew, 2023. "State government saving over the business cycle," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Evgeny N. Timushev & Vita A. Yagovkina, 2023. "Reserve Funds in Russian Regions: Factors of Formation and Efficiency Assessment," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 5, pages 61-78, October.

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