It found that five of those seven states experienced faster economic growth than the average state and concluded that super majority voting rules lower taxes and create faster economic growth. The second study was released April 1997 by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Center's study concludes that the Heritage study was flawed in four ways. Only one measure of economic growth was used. Heritage considered only state level tax changes rather than changes in state and local revenues, despite the capacity of states to shift costs and responsibilities to local governments.
Heritage compares years with two different points on the business cycle.
The beginning year was 1980, a year of economic downturn into a recession. The end point was 1992, a year of economic recovery following a recession. The Center's analysis shows that five of seven states with super majority requirements experienced lower than average economic growth measured by changes in per capita personal income between 1979 and 1989. Four of seven states with super majority requirements had lower than average economic growth by changes in Gross State Product from 1979 to 1989. Six of seven states with super majority requirements had higher than average growth of state and local revenues as a percent of personal income from 1979 to 1989.