Policy
How Federal Mandates Hit State and City Budgets
The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was supposed to make Congress count the cost of the rules it imposes — and the counting is exactly what its reports now show.
Henrik Larsen · January 31, 2026
Policy: Laws, Rules and Impact
Assessment of what governments spend, tax and regulate, measured against the objectives stated when each measure was introduced. Sources include budget offices, program evaluations and comparable schemes abroad. For officials, evaluators and analysts who need the counterfactual as well as the reported outcome.