Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams is the director of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force for the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he works with state legislators and the private sector to develop free-market fiscal policy in the states. Prior to joining ALEC, Jonathan served as
staff economist at the Tax Foundation, authoring numerous tax policy studies. His work has been
featured in many publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Forbes and Investor's Business Daily. Williams is a contributor to The Examiner (Washington, D.C.) and writes a syndicated column for the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy in Wichita, Kan., where he also serves as an adjunct fiscal policy fellow. He is a contributing author to the Reason Foundation's Rich States, Poor States Annual Privatization Report and has written for Tax Analysts, a scholarly journal dedicated to tax issues. Williams has also appeared on numerous television outlets, including FOX Business News.

A Mid-Michigan native, Williams graduated magna cum laude from Northwood University in
Midland, Mich., majoring in economics, banking/finance, and business management. While at
Northwood, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ludwig von Mises Award in Economics.

  • BLOG: ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, RHODE ISLAND

    A Tale of Two States: MICHIGAN vs ILLINOIS, lessons in pension reform

    The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity | by Jonathan Williams, Representative Jon D. Brien | November 16, 2011

    Michigan directly tackled its pension problem in 1997 by replacing the traditional "defined-benefit" pension plan with a 401(k)-style "defined-contribution" retirement plan for new state employees. The Michigan reforms have been immensely successful. Unfortunately, the story in Illinois is not nearly as encouraging.

  • Solutions

    Rich States, Poor States 2011

    by Bryan Leonard, Stephen Moore, Jonathan Williams | June 23, 2011

    Bloated state spending levels and trillions of dollars in unfunded government employee pension liabilities pose huge financial obstacles to economic recovery in the 50 states today. This begs the million-or trillion-dollar question: Why are some states prospering while others are still struggling?

     

     

     

     

  • Solutions

    ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit

    The American Legislative Exchange Council | by Jonathan Williams, Bob Williams, Leroy Gilroy | February 21, 2011

    ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit will advance a set of budget and procurement best practices to guide state policymakers as they work to solve the current budget shortfalls. SBS President Bob Williams was one of the authors of the toolkit, which assists legislators in prioritizing and more efficiently delivering core government services.

  • Solutions

    ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit

    by Jonathan Williams, Leroy Gilroy, Bob Williams | January 25, 2011

    ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit will advance a set of budget and procurement best practices to guide state policymakers as they work to solve the current budget shortfalls. The toolkit assists legislators in prioritizing and more efficiently delivering core government services through advancing Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty.

  • Solutions

    Rich States, Poor States

    by Arthur B. Laffer, Stephen Moore, Jonathan Williams | April 9, 2010

    Study finding that levying tax increases is not a sustainable answer for budget problems. Especially during an economic downturn, states need to be doing everything they can to become more competitive, not less.