Before he was teaching public finance at the Baker School, Assistant Professor John Stavick was watching policy decisions unfold in real time, and seeing the results firsthand.
As an undergraduate economics major at Georgia State, Stavick secured a fiscal research internship that would quietly shape the trajectory of his career. At the university’s Fiscal Research Center, he watched as analysts worked closely with the Georgia General Assembly, examining proposed legislation, estimating fiscal impacts and tracking the economic trends that shaped state revenues. Decisions made in those rooms had real consequences for communities across the state.
That experience sparked a question that guides his research: What really happens inside government when budgets get tight?
While working as an economist at the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Stavick realized that states must compete with the private sector to attract highly skilled employees. In moments of economic downturns, when revenues decline and budgets must be balanced, governments often reduce payroll expenditures, freeze wages, or implement furloughs. He was curious about what happens to the people who deliver public services when those decisions are made? Do they stay? Do they leave? What does that mean for citizens who rely on government programs?
Those early observations became the foundation of his research centered on the public workforce.
Today, Stavick maintains a sweeping state-level payroll dataset covering the last 10 to 15 years, representing approximately 97 percent of every U.S. state employee. Rather than relying on survey responses about job satisfaction, he studies observable behavior: pay raises, tenure, transfers and turnover. His work allows him to examine how fiscal shocks like the Great Recession, or the budgetary disruptions of COVID-19, affect state agencies at the employee level.
The findings matter because budgeting decisions are rarely just about numbers. For instance, a furlough program, a delayed cost-of-living adjustment or a wage freeze may balance a budget on paper. However, those policies can also influence whether experienced public servants remain in their roles or seek opportunities elsewhere, affecting the quality of public services for citizens.
That practical lens shapes both his research and his teaching at the Baker School.
In the classroom, Stavick resists the idea that public finance is purely technical. Instead, he places students in the same position as legislators and governors. He tasks them with balancing a budget while satisfying competing demands. Students are given compelling proposals from fictional agencies but the funding is limited. Someone must decide what moves forward and what does not.
From the outside, it is easy to criticize elected officials for failing to meet every need of its citizens, but it is harder to allocate resources in a way that reflects the public’s priorities. “No one wants to raise taxes but everyone wants outstanding schools and roads,” he said. “There are ebbs and flows to how the economy works and there are a lot of difficult conversations that have to be had. Expanded services may require higher taxes. Every choice involves tradeoffs.”
By the end of the exercise, students often express surprise at how consequential and complex budgeting can be.
That problem-solving orientation is one of the reasons he joined the Baker School. When he first saw the opportunity in summer 2024, he was not familiar with the school’s history. As he learned more, he recognized something that felt familiar: an interdisciplinary environment focused on solving public problems.
That environment continues to shape his research. He has observed that Tennessee relies heavily on retail sales taxes. As consumer spending shifts increasingly toward services like hair salons and spas, some of which are not taxed, revenue structures may grow more vulnerable. If taxable goods make up a shrinking share of total spending, what does that mean for a state’s capacity to balance its budget?
Stavick believes budgeting sits at the heart of the government’s ability to meet public needs. No private individual can build an interstate highway or a bridge across a river. However, through coordinated decision-making, collecting small contributions from many, the government can marshal resources to accomplish large-scale projects that generate collective value.
If there is one misconception Stavick hopes to challenge, it is the belief that budgeting is too technical for citizens to engage with. Many municipalities now provide clear, accessible budget infographics that show exactly how tax dollars are allocated. The more citizens review and understand those documents, the stronger democratic accountability becomes.
Ultimately, his work, in research and in courses like HBS 532 Public Financial Administration, reflects a central theme: state and local governments need skilled, thoughtful public servants who understand both the numbers and the human consequences behind them. Budget decisions affect livelihoods, public services and economic vitality.
For students willing to wrestle with those tradeoffs, public service offers something rare, which is a career where decisions shape the lives of thousands.