From This Collection

The legislative mistakes that put Arizona in budget crisis

Feb 28, 2011
A series of tax breaks and cuts has led the state in a downward spiral ever since the housing crisis and recession hit.

U.S. growth slows as states spend less

Feb 25, 2011
U.S. gross domestic product growth in the last quarter of 2010 was lower than estimated because spending by state and local governments declined.

Texas considers dipping into rainy day fund

Feb 24, 2011
Governor Rick Perry is against the idea, pushing instead for budget cuts.

State protests spread

Feb 22, 2011
Wisconsin protests go wide to Indiana and other states across the Midwest. Thousands of public workers are descending on state capitols to protest states' attempts to balance budgets by stripping unions of bargaining power.

White House budget to give states relief

Feb 9, 2011
President Obama wants to let states suspend billions in interest payments on money borrowed from the federal government to cover unemployment benefits.

States declaring bankruptcy?

Feb 1, 2011
Individuals can do it. So can municipalities. But why can't states file for bankruptcy? Want the answer? Just ask the Founding Fathers.

State bankruptcy debate unsettles muni market

Jan 28, 2011
The debate over whether to let states declare bankruptcy adds a new element of uncertainty to the jittery municipal bond market.

For public good, not for profit.

The panic lurking in the municipal bond market

Jan 26, 2011
Kai Ryssdal talks to Marketplace New York bureau chief Heidi Moore about the current state of the municipal bond market.

Municipal bond market is still struggling

Jan 14, 2011
More than two years after the financial crisis' credit crunch, many cities and states are still feeling the effects -- worries about budget deficits has borrowing costs up and the municipal bond market is struggling. Stacey Vanek Smith reports.
A bond.
iStockPhoto

Chris Low: Most important stories in economics in 2010

Dec 31, 2010
Jeremy Hobson speaks to Chris Low from FTN Financial about the most important stories in 2010, including jobs and municipal bankruptcies.