Essays on the Diffusion of Budget Stabilization Funds in the United States

This dissertation employs a three-essay format to study the diffusion of budget stabilization funds (BSFs) in the United States. Using an event history analysis approach, the first study examines the diffusion mechanism for BSFs. The second study conducts a text analysis to explore BSFs’ potential reinvention over time. Finally, the third study hypothesizes a federal-level BSF and provides a policy simulation to justify its fiscal feasibility. Overall, the three studies describe the diffusion of BSFs across states over eight decades by exploring their diffusion mechanism and presenting patterns in important BSF policy dimensions. In addition, the dissertation disseminates a robust dataset that can be used to advance future research on BSFs both quantitatively and qualitatively.