States implementing an analytic cost-benefit model pioneered by the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative are seeing important policymaking successes, according to a brief. The Initiative, a joint project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and MacArthur, helps states apply a customized, innovative cost-benefit approach to policy and budget choices. In 2013, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York and Vermont completed the Results First model and saw shifting, cutting, or allocating of a total of $38 million in funding, with anticipated returns of as much as $38 for every $1 invested over the next seven to 10 years. The brief highlights individual successes and identifies opportunities for states and counties to expand efforts to improve outcomes across a range of policy areas, including adult criminal and juvenile justice, child welfare, education, mental health, and substance abuse.
