Description
Book SynopsisWhen States Go Broke discusses the ongoing fiscal crisis among the American states. No one disagrees with the idea that the states face enormous political and fiscal challenges. This volume fills an important gap in the dialogue by offering an academic analysis of the many issues broached by these debates.
Trade Review"Well-written and cohesive....Editors Conti-Brown and Skeel did a fine job ensuring that a diversity of perspectives were represented, both disciplinary (economists, political scientists, lawyers) and professional/political (academics, a union lawyer, a conservative think tank scholar....Recommended." --Choice
Table of ContentsPart I. The Problem: The States in Fiscal Crisis: 1. Fiscal constitutions and fiscal crises: a history Isabel Rodriguez-Tejedo and John Wallis; 2. Obligations without the power to fund them: the origins, consequences, and possible solution to the fiscal crisis of the states Damon Silvers; 3. Public pension pressures in the United States Olivia Mitchell; 4. Structural challenges in state budgeting Josh Barro; Part II. The Legal and Political Context of Public Debt: 5. What states can learn from municipal insolvency Clayton Gillette; 6. Market discipline and US federalism Jonathan Rodden; 7. American states and sovereign debt restructuring: lessons and cautionary tales Adam Feibelman; Part III. Evaluating Solutions: 8. State bankruptcy from the ground up David Skeel; 9. Fiscal federalism and the limits of bankruptcy Adam Levitin; 10. Extending bankruptcy law to states: is it constitutional? Michael McConnell; 11. Bankruptcy for the states and by the states George Triantis; 12. Labor and the states' fiscal problems: not the problem but perhaps part of the solution Catherine Fisk and Brian Olney.
