Get hard facts on what’s going on in your state:

Good Jobs First’s Subsidy Tracker: Search for data on deals in your state or municipal area.

Upjohn Institute Panel Database on Incentives and Taxes: “Data on incentives and taxes for 33 states and 45 industries for the past 26 years.”

Find a Local Ally:

If you’re concerned about economic development transparency in your state or city, the National Freedom of Information Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of state and regional government transparency organizations. Its members include nonprofit organizations, academic and First Amendment centers, journalistic societies and attorneys, and may have more information or be interested in a discussion.

The CEA is an organization based on the principles of free markets and limited government. As such, we often work with members of the State Policy Network, the nationwide network of free-market think tanks across the United States. Many SPN think tanks have been involved in promoting transparency, accountability and reform of economic development subsidies in their states.

Work With the CEA

The CEA frequently works directly with elected officials, community organizations, activists, business groups and others who have a stake in the well-being of their communities to drive economic development transparency, accountability and reform.

Often, our interaction starts with a phone call with someone who knows that their community’s economic development programs aren’t working, but doesn’t know where to start addressing that challenge. We’re able to walk people through the process of identifying the problems, adding up the costs and developing a coalition and a plan for meaningful reforms that have a real-world chance of making a difference. Contact us if that sounds like a good idea for your community.

What we do:

  • General advice and counsel on how to approach economic development policy issues in your community
  • Assistance in defining the scope of the problem and putting a price tag on the status quo
  • Best practice options for policy reform
  • Research-backed facts and figures to help make your case
  • Support in building coalitions and convening unlikely allies for reform
  • Help developing messages that resonate with key audiences and arguments that move the needle of public opinion
  • Public testimony

The CEA is able to provide this assistance without charge to our local partners, thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

What we cannot do:

  • Endorse candidates for public office
  • Get involved in political campaigns
  • Make donations to political candidates, parties or political action committees
  • Any other activities that are inappropriate for a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization
  • Provide grants or other financial support to local activists