Millions of low-income individuals in the U.S. are aided through community development programs, which are funded by federal, state, and local governments. The authors consider whether federal transfers and expenditures from moneys generated by states and localities respond to state-level trends...

The state of Illinois has been facing a precarious fiscal situation for the past several years. According to the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, Illinois has accumulated over $120 billion in total indebtedness. This works out to nearly $25,000 per household. Even in the short run,...