An Analysis of State Spending in Michigan During the 1930's

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of federal programs on state revenues during the Great Depression, specifically on the state of Michigan. To form a complete picture of the economics interactions between the Michigan state government and federal government, a historical review of the economic climate of the state is combined with cleaning, sorting and analyzing state revenue and expenditure data provided in state records. The process yields a greater understanding of the need for further work on creating useful data sets that include all states and that accurately reflect the historical narrative told about state finances at the time.