Here, we elucidate the motives of policymaking through the lens of budget politics in the states. This chapter describes the priorities of state spending and how these spending patterns across ten budget domains evolve in all fifty states between 1984 and 2010. This chapter connects these patterns to the distribution of costs and benefits: Different policy areas offer distinct short- and long-term rewards. Importantly, we show that domains that see large short-term gains tend to find diminished budgetary growth over time. Hence, political actors need to trade off short-term and long-term rewards. Our findings make apparent that the dynamics of policy issues motivate political action.

There are currently a number of hard problems tied one to another to be faced by economic policy: crises, stagnation, inefficiency and inequalities, globalization. The emergence of so-many problems has raised questions as to the ability of economic policy to adequately deal with them. In fact, a number of policy tools equal to that of policy objectives is required for reaching fixed policy targets.

There are currently a number of hard problems tied one to another to be faced by economic policy: crises, stagnation, inefficiency and inequalities, globalization. The emergence of so-many problems has raised questions as to the ability of economic policy to adequately deal with them. In fact, a number of policy tools equal to that of policy objectives is required for reaching fixed policy targets.