Jeremy Jackson, professor of agribusiness and applied economics and director of the Center for Public Choice and Private Enterprise, is featured in a March 23 WalletHub article, “2021’s States with the Best and Worst Taxpayer ROI,” by managing editor John S. Kiernan.
According to the article, Tax Day reminds taxpayers how much they invest in federal, state and local governments, with 74 percent thinking the government has not handled tax dollars wisely during the pandemic.
WalletHub examined all 50 states within five categories: Education, Health, Safety, Economy and Infrastructure and Pollution. A total of 30 key metrics were used.
New Hampshire was named the top state for taxpayer return on investment, while Florida placed second and South Dakota third. North Dakota ranked 47th and Minnesota was 33rd.
Jackson answered these questions:
• Do states with high tax burdens provide better government services?
• How can state and local governments use tax revenue more efficiently?
• How can everyday citizens assess ROI of their local tax dollars?
• What is the most common way local governments waste taxpayer dollars?
• What are the most efficient ways for local governments to mitigate the fiscal impact of the pandemic?
“Efficiency for government services has many components but it primarily comes down to maximizing value creation,” Jackson said in the article. “We need the government to use as few resources as possible to provide the government services that citizens want. Again, it is important to remember that value is subjective. We all have different preferences so that we likely do not all agree on exactly what should be done to maximize value creation. In order to satisfy the various wants and needs citizens plane on government services it then makes sense for decision making to be as local as possible.”
Jackson was one of five experts from around the country interviewed for the article.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at Baylor University and his master’s degree and doctorate in economics from Washington University in St. Louis. Jackson’s research involves strategic interactions, such as regulation of gas emissions in the dairy industry, strategic pricing of research and development use licenses and the effects of the minimum wage on youth unemployment.
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