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The economic stimulus plan is one President Obama's main weapons to jump-start the economy and prevent a much deeper and longer recession; the current downturn started in December 2007 making it already one of the longest since the Great Depression, and it has caused the largest number of job losses in the history of the US in a single year (in absolute, but not - yet - relative numbers). Through a combination of tax cuts, direct investments in a variety of sectors including infrastructure, energy, science and education and help to the unemployed and to the states, Congress and the President are looking to alleviate if not stop the decline in economic activity. As of August 2009, the economy has lost 6.9 million jobs, which have been shed across all sectors of the economy except for government and healthcare.

The $787 billion economic stimulus package was approved by Congress in February, 2009. The plan was to jumpstart economic growth, and save between 900,000-2.3 million jobs.

At least 49 states and the Virgin Islands have created or proposed ways to track, provide oversight, and distribute information relating to federal stimulus funds. Governors have created new entities, state agencies are documenting projects, and legislatures are forming commissions or committees to oversee the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The following provides a brief summary of actions that states are proposing or taking to provide oversight and transparency of ARRA. Also included are state websites that will provide information on implementation and spending of funds from ARRA