Category Archives: PewResearch.org

Converting Offices to Housing Is Hard. These Changes Could Make It Easier.

Read more Stateline coverage of how communities across the country are trying to create more affordable housing. Stroll around America’s vacant downtowns, and a seemingly obvious solution emerges to the housing shortages and homelessness problems in many states: Why not turn all those unoccupied offices into living spaces? Especially in cities such as Portland, where the office […]
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Total Number of U.S. Statehouse Reporters Rises, but Fewer Are on the Beat Full Time

As newspapers employ fewer statehouse reporters, nonprofits are filling much of the void. From voting rights and redistricting to abortion and public education, state capitols across the United States are at the epicenter of the nation’s key public policy debates. This has been especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, as state capitol buildings became ground zero in the debate over mask and vaccine mandates […]
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Key Lessons for Policymakers and the Public About Expanding Broadband Access 

A collection of expert interviews on deployment, speed, infrastructure, and the accelerating trend toward life online. Nationwide, at least 18 million—and perhaps more than 42 million—Americans lack access to broadband internet service, and millions more cannot afford a high-speed connection even if one is available. The significance of this access gap was thrust into the […]
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Where States Get Their Money | The Pew Charitable Trusts

Taxes and federal funds together account for 80.5% of revenue for the 50 states. Taxes are the largest revenue source in 46 states, while federal funds are greatest in four: Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, and Wyoming. This infographic displays a breakdown of each state’s revenue by major categories. Source: Where States Get Their Money | The […]
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Massachusetts Probation Service Offers Innovative Alternatives to Incarceration

Guided by research, community corrections centers strengthen treatment program contracts. Rigorous evidence-based research demonstrates that most of the behavioral health and employment interventions provided primarily to defendants on probation by social workers, counselors, and probation officers at the community corrections center in Brockton, Massachusetts, are effective. For example, a recent study suggests that people who are sentenced […]
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Two Decades of Change in Federal and State Higher Education Funding 

Recent trends across levels of government. States and the federal government have long provided substantial financial support for higher education, but in recent years, their respective levels of contribution have shifted significantly. Historically, states provided a far greater share of assistance to postsecondary institutions and students than the federal government did: In 1990 state per […]
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Oregon State Retirement Program Growing During Pandemic—Despite Some Worker Withdrawals

Oregon’s three-year-old state retirement savings program for private sector workers has continued to grow during the pandemic while providing a financial cushion for participants facing significant economic shocks, according to an analysis of state administrative data. Source: Oregon State Retirement Program Growing During Pandemic—Despite Some Worker Withdrawals

How States Raise Their Tax Dollars, FY 2019

Taxes make up about half of state government revenue, with two-thirds of states’ total tax dollars coming from levies on personal income and general sales of goods and services. This infographic illustrates the sources of each state’s tax revenue. Source: How States Raise Their Tax Dollars, FY 2019 | The Pew Charitable Trusts

Where States Get Their Money, FY 2018

Taxes and federal funds together account for 81% of revenue for the 50 states. Taxes are the largest revenue source in 44 states, while federal funds are greatest in six: Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming.This infographic displays a breakdown of each state’s revenue by major categories. Source: Where States Get Their Money, […]
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States Raid Fund Meant for Needy Families to Pay for Other Programs

Nearly 25 years ago, President Bill Clinton vowed to “end welfare as we know it,” and Congress bought in, passing landmark legislation designed to help millions of low-income Americans find work and get off the rolls for good.In the early years, the new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, known as TANF, which states also must fund, did […]
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