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Passing responsibilities down to lower levels of government should be undertaken primarily to place services closer to the people being served and to maximize administrative

Public retirement systems should establish a maximum vesting period of five years for DB plans and one year for employers’ matching contributions to defined contribution or hybrid plans. 

States and localities should move toward full funding of their retirement systems. 

When economic conditions permit, states should accumulate budget reserves adequate to maintain services during recessions.

Deficit-reduction efforts should avoid cuts in programs that serve low- and moderate-income populations. 

States should not tie essential spending programs to unstable revenue sources. 

Higher levels of government should provide adequate resources when mandating functions to lower levels of government.

Services should be implemented and operated by the level of government that can most appropriately and efficiently deliver them. 

Tax and spending decisions should be the purview of the legislative branch. 

Legislators should not adopt supermajority voting requirements for budgetary or tax matters. 

Governments should not limit their ability to address future economic and political changes and the need for investments.