Putting money where the need is managing the finances of state and local governments

The Government Performance Project proposition that there is a link between management capacity and managerial performance clearly applies to financial management. Survey results from state and local governments provide solid evidence of the validity of the model; further assessment of the grades given offers explicit insight into the nature of the linkages. Both lead to the overall conclusion that management of government finances should be viewed not as freestanding but as rooted in institutional settings and established traditions.