The fiscal sustainability project was undertaken in 1997 to assess the impact of recent and proposed legislative policy actions that might affect either overall state general fund revenues or expenditures in South Carolina. Since that time, additional reports were added to the series in 1999, 2001 and 2008.

• 2008 Fiscal Sustainability Report
• 2001 Fiscal Sustainability Project Report
• 1999 Fiscal Sustainability Project Report and Working Papers
• 1997 Fiscal Sustainability Project Report and Working Papers

This report is the fourth in an intermittent series on South Carolina state revenue and spending. The purpose of this series is to stimulate an ongoing dialogue about an important issue facing the state of South Carolina: the development of a revenue structure and budgetary policies and practices that ensure stable and adequate funding for essential and important state government services in future years. The current report examines trends in state revenue and expenditures, especially during the last recession, and identifies current challenges to revenue and spending. The report also examines whether or not the state's revenue system is likely to be able to support future spending through fiscal year 2012-13. Earlier fiscal sustainability publications were issued in 1997, 1999, and 2001.

• Fiscal Sustainability in SC - Trends and Issues

The 2001 report examines historical trends in the major components of South Carolina general fund revenues and expenditures and how those trends have contributed to the budget crisis facing state government at that time. Projections of future state general fund revenues and expenditures were made through fiscal year 2010-11. The revenue projections contain several “what-if” scenarios to address the effects of proposed policy shifts on state revenue streams. The report also contains a discussion of South Carolina's revenues and expenditures relative to those in other states. Local government fiscal trends were not addressed.

• South Carolina Revenues and Expenditures Historical Trends and Projections to 2010-11, by Louis R. Lanier and Ellen Weeks Saltzman, August 29, 2001

The second series of fiscal sustainability working papers was produced in late 1998 and early 1999. The four working papers updated the 1997 work by incorporating new financial data and generating new revenue and expenditure projections through fiscal year 2009-10. The working papers and summary report incorporated information about policy changes likely to affect the state's general fund revenues and expenditures, including: tuition tax credits, the Trust Fund for Tax Relief, and changes to the state's business incentive programs.