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Brookings Data Now: ALEC’s Involvement in State Legislatures

Fred Dews
Fred Dews Managing Editor, New Digital Products - Office of Communications

December 13, 2013

In this edition of Brookings Data Now: ALEC’s influence on state legislatures; Kuwait a leading donor for Syrian refugees; private charitable development donations in the U.S. outpace official amounts; and county-level tax burdens compared.

132

Sample size in a new survey of ALEC model bills introduced in state legislatures in 2011-12

The most common of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s model bills in the sample were about immigration and the environment.

$300 million

Amount of Kuwaiti government grants for humanitarian aid work related to Syrian refugees

With an additional $183 million from Kuwait’s independent charities, Kuwait is the largest non-Western donor in charitable giving for the Syrian crisis.
$39 billion

Amount in 2010 contributed by U.S. religious groups, NGOs and charitable organizations to international development causes

Official U.S. development assistance was $30 billion.
10%

Percent of U.S. counties with an average federal income tax burden over $6,700

The overall U.S. average across counties is $3,400.

Colleen Lineweaver contributed to this post.