Research Problem and Theoretical Framework: Across the local, state, and federal levels of government are there public management strategies that emerge at each level to address the varied fiscal challenges triggered by factors that are beyond their immediate control? The panel will draw on a range of case study research at the local, county, state, and federal levels to discuss the following: First, how does democracy deal with a fiscal environment that is fundamentally different than in past centuries? How to account for the current context of turbulence with the following challenges: 1) fiscal stresses; 2) past successes that create higher set of new expectations; 3) great individual choice and access to information greater; 4) globalization. Second, how to address the three “E’s”: Equity, efficiency, environment. Third, how to move collective bargaining from the potential for a zero sum game and to a fundamental shift in accepting budgets as limited. Fourth, can fiscal sustainability emerge in a constitutional democracy? What are the problems sets noted by deTocqueville and the Madisonian concept of the tyranny of majority? How to get at current pathology in pensions? How to move beyond “magical thinking “ problem of electorate (Korey, 2011) and “free lunch” problem of electorate (Chapman, 2010)? Fifth, at the institutional level how to move off path dependency? What does institutional change look like?