Dr. Hackbart's research interests include public budgeting and public finance applied to state fiscal policy and transportation policy. His current research efforts include an analysis of debt capacity assessments for the State Road Fund compared to the General Fund, an assessment of state policy initiatives designed to encourage entrepreneurial activity, and a study to estimate the structural balances (positive or negative) for the states.

He is a member of the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education and the Kentucky Consensus Revenue Forecasting Group, and serves as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor. He has also served as Budget Director for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He is a past President of the Association of Budgeting and Financial Management.