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State and Local Pension Plans

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  • Olivia S. Mitchell
  • Roderick Carr

Abstract

This paper examines the role and function of pension plans covering state and local government employees in the United States. Covering about 16 million employees (including teachers, fire fighters, police, members of the judiciary, and many other state and local employees), these plans manage a substantial stock of financial assets -- close to $1 trillion -- and receive annual contributions from employees and government revenues totaling about $56 billion. Using data gathered from a variety of different sources, some of which have only recently become available, we describe the benefits, financing, and management of these plans, and identify some of the prominent challenges facing these pension plans in the next decade.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivia S. Mitchell & Roderick Carr, 1995. "State and Local Pension Plans," NBER Working Papers 5271, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5271
    Note: AG LS
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ping-Lung Hsin & Olivia Mitchell, 1994. "The Political Economy of Public Pensions: Pension Funding, Governance, and Fiscal Stress," Revista de Analisis Economico – Economic Analysis Review, Universidad Alberto Hurtado/School of Economics and Business, vol. 9(1), pages 151-168, June.
    2. Mitchell, Olivia S & Smith, Robert S, 1994. "Pension Funding in the Public Sector," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(2), pages 278-290, May.
    3. Olivia S. Mitchell & Ping-Lung Hsin, "undated". "Public Pension Governance and Performance," Pension Research Council Working Papers 94-1, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
    4. Zvi Bodie & Olivia S. Mitchell, "undated". "Pensions in an Aging World," Pension Research Council Working Papers 94-9, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
    5. Olivia S. Mitchell & Robert S. Smith, "undated". "Public Sector Pension Funding," Pension Research Council Working Papers 94-4, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
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    Cited by:

    1. Olivia S. Mitchell & David McCarthy & Stanley C. Wisniewski & Paul Zorn, "undated". "Developments in State and Local Pension Plans," Pension Research Council Working Papers 99-4, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
    2. Michael Useem & Olivia S. Mitchell, "undated". "Holders of the Purse Strings: Governance and Performance of Public Retirement Systems," Pension Research Council Working Papers 2000-3, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
    3. Brown, Jeffrey R. & Mitchell, Olivia S. & Poterba, James M. & Warshawsky, Mark J., 1999. "Taxing Retirement Income: Nonqualified Annuities and Distributions From Qualified Accounts," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 52(3), pages 563-592, September.
    4. Michael Useem & David Hess, "undated". "Governance and Investments of Public Pensions," Pension Research Council Working Papers 99-11, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.
    5. Munnell, Alicia H. & Aubry, Jean-Pierre & Quinby, Laura, 2011. "Public pension funding in practice," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 247-268, April.
    6. Olivia S. Mitchell, "undated". "International Models for Pension Reform," Pension Research Council Working Papers 98-5, Wharton School Pension Research Council, University of Pennsylvania.

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