Professor Lofton’s has two research agendas: (1) the impacts of financial managers’ decision-making on a government’s ability to manage its resources, and (2) the effects of imposed fiscal and economic constraints on a government’s ability to manage resources. Her work is primarily concentrated on financial and strategic factors that motivate the use of short-term resources including unrestricted cash and short-term debt as well as imposed fiscal constraints which can impact the use of short-term resources.
Buerger, C., & Lofton, M. L. (2023) “The Interplay Between Fiscal Institutions and the Great Recession: Evidence from U.S. School Districts”. American Educational Research Association Open, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584231189176
Lozano-Rojas, F. A. & Lofton, M. L. (2023) “A Structural Change in the Power to Tax: The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Sales Tax Collections across Georgia Counties”. Municipal Finance Journal, 44(1), 3-44.
Yoon, N., & Lofton, M. L. (2023). “Open for Economic Activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Factors Related to State Reopening Policies in a Federal Policy Vacuum”. Public Performance & Management Review, 46(1), 60-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2022.2116721
Lofton, M. L., & Lueken, M. F. (2022). “Distribution of Education Savings Account Usage among Families: Evidence from the Florida Gardiner Scholarship Program”. Journal of School Choice, 16(4), 649-674. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2022.2039434
Lofton, M. L. (2022). “The Impact of Excess Taxing Capacity on Short-Term Resources”. Public Budgeting & Finance, 42(1), 3-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbaf.12286
Lofton, M. L., & Ivonchyk, M. (2022). “Financial Manager Professionalism and Use of Interfund Transfers: Evidence from Georgia Counties”. Public Budgeting & Finance, 42(2), 171-195. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbaf.12301
Lofton, M. L., & Kioko, S. N. (2021). “The Use of Short-Term Debt by General Purpose Governments”. Public Budgeting & Finance, 41(4), 71-93. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbaf.12285
Lofton, M. L. (2021). “What Influences Working Capital Management? A Survey of New York Local Government Financial Officers”. Municipal Finance Journal, 41(4), 61-86.