Gasoline Taxes in Georgia

This report describes and compares Georgia's fuel tax with other states and evaluates it as a long-term dedicated revenue source for highway funding in the state. FRC Report 12

Report on the City of Chattahoochee Hill Country. Potential Revenues and Expenditures - Brief

Using Fulton County revenue and expenditure data and benchmarks developed from other Georgia city data, this report evaluates the fiscal consequences of incorporating a new city of Chattahoochee Hill Country. FRC Brief 16

Report on the City of Chattahoochee Hill Country. Potential Revenues and Expenditures

Using Fulton County revenue and expenditure data and benchmarks developed from other Georgia city data, this report evaluates the fiscal consequences of incorporating a new city of Chattahoochee Hill Country. FRC Report 16

Gasoline Taxes in Georgia - Brief

This report describes and compares Georgia's fuel tax with other states and evaluates it as a long-term dedicated revenue source for highway funding in the state. FRC Brief 12

A statistical meta-analysis of the wellbeing literature

This study employs an empirical meta-analysis to examine the livability factors of wellbeing and assess each precursor’s relative significance. The effect size results of individual studies of existing academic work are pooled by the use of a variety of statistical techniques to determine a meta-effect that yields statistically more significant conclusions and is a more powerful measure in that it has the ability to identify results closer to the true outcomes. The meta-analysis in this paper covers 164 studies and 560 observations published prior to September 2013. After articulating definitions of the central concepts and tenets of the scholarly research on wellbeing, the analysis continues with a literature review identifying recurring factors of wellbeing and the associated correlation. To address the variation in the type of analysis that underlies each study, all studies are converted to an effect size using Fischer’s z and then analyzed under the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. The results largely confirm the findings in the literature but also reveal some surprises and suggest avenues for future research. The meta-analysis finds empirical support for the dimensions of living standard, health, freedom, personal and community relationships, peace, and security as significant livability factors of wellbeing

Exploring the Sub-State Intergovernmental Game

Draft: Do not cite without author permissionThe (draft) article of record as published may be found at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3562735Cooperative budgeting arrangements between state and local governments jointly fund local programs. The mix of state and local revenues contributed to these arrangements can change as budget priorities shift over time. This study examines the strategic choices public officials make as they determine their contributions to jointly-funded programs. Using a game theory model known as the “Diner’s Dilemma”, the analysis explores how each level of government considers how much revenue to contribute and whether it can induce its partner to increase their level of support. This analysis applies primarily to local programs with regional externalities. The model illustrates how local efforts to aggressively try to shift costs to the state government can backfire, particularly during periods of state fiscal stress

Capital Structure and Performance Implications of Special-Purpose Governments

We study the capital structure choices and resultant operating consequences of American special-purpose governments. In the United States, special-purpose governments have approximately $1 trillion of outstanding debt. These entities are established with Congressional authorization, rendering taxpaers ultimately responsible for satisfying their obligations. However, their debt is not recorded on any local, state, or Federal financial statements. Despite the enormity of these quasi-governmental units and the implications of their operating choices on the country’s fiscal health, surprisingly little is known about their underlying decisions and attendant consequences. This dearth of knowledge motivates our study. We find that special-purpose governments follow a modified pecking-order theory of capital structure, first exhausting internal funding before issuing debt. These units then use an equity-like instrument to fund investment. Moreover, their capital structure is associated with operating outcomes, providing evidence that the financing decisions of these entities have operational consequences of import for the country’s fiscal position

Report on the City of South Fulton: Potential Revenue and Expenditures (Revised)

This report evaluates the fiscal consequences of incorporating a new city of South Fulton, using Fulton County revenue and expenditure data and benchmarks from other Georgia cities. FRC Report 16

Report on the City of South Fulton: Potential Revenue and Expenditures (Revised) - Brief

This report evaluates the fiscal consequences of incorporating a new city of South Fulton, using Fulton County revenue and expenditure data and benchmarks from other Georgia cities. FRC Brief 16

The Policy of Enforcement: Red Light Cameras and Racial Profiling

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1098611115586174We explore the question of whether some of the often conflicting evidence of racial profiling can be cleared up using red light camera observations to measure racial disparities in traffic violations. Using data from cameras at intersections matched to census data, we find that although citations from the red light cameras are issued to a disproportionate number of minorities based on the racial composition of the surrounding location, the racial composition of the violator is consistent with the racial composition of the block group in which they reside. Our study indicates that red light cameras may have a present and future role in assisting public policy makers on issues of racial profiling thresholds