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Finance 101

Think you could manage your state or local government's money? Take our quiz to find out.
Partially because of tax policies, state budgets have become increasingly unpredictable. But a few states are finding ways to manage the craziness.
There’s no sure-fire way to get fiscal policy right. But there are a few simple ways to get it disastrously wrong.
A new self-reporting initiative creates a prisoner's dilemma between governments and underwriters.
This video explainer breaks down the role a government’s credit rating plays in its everyday finances.
A balanced budget isn’t always a healthy one.
A video explainer on the mechanics and players that make the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market work.
What governments need to know about where they should go to seek financial advice.
Bankruptcy grabs the headlines, but distressed cities are a more widespread problem – one that few states know how to address.
Think you have the public finance chops to get through any budget session? Take Governing’s quiz to find out if you make the grade!
Crucial (and complicated) concepts in public money explained.
These buzzwords can instill fear and trepidation in even the most progressive and tech-savvy public officials, but open information really does improve how cities operate.
Failure to understand financial outcomes is more dangerous to states and localities than ever, and there’s a big gap between what public leaders know about finance and what they need to know.
Over the last century, states have adopted the idea that pensions are a form of deferred compensation and, along with that change, has come certain protections.