Lessons from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for an Inclusive Recovery from the Pandemic

By examining federal aid to state and local governments during the Great Recession, we draw lessons that can inform current state and local efforts to build an inclusive economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. We primarily compare the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, focusing on mechanisms to improve transparency and accountability and to center equity and inclusion in state and local spending of federal economic recovery funds.