Recent Research & Commentary

Research & Commentary: Cat Bonds for State-Run Catastrophe Insurance

Deborah Bailin
April 4, 2012

Catastrophe bonds are insurance-linked securities that offset major costs to taxpayers and insurers caused by natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

Research & Commentary: HHS Final Exchange Rules

Kendall Antekeier
April 4, 2012

As states have been debating whether to implement a health insurance exchange, a key deterrent has been that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had released only draft rules.

Research & Commentary: PPACA and Medicaid Expansion

Kendall Antekeier
March 26, 2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires states to expand Medicaid eligibility to all individuals whose income is less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

Research & Commentary: Obama Administration Education Policies

Joy Pullmann
March 26, 2012

As the 2012 elections approach, it is an appropriate time to review the president’s record on education policy. Several prominent observers have done so recently.

Research & Commentary: The Obamacare Individual Mandate

Kendall Antekeier
March 26, 2012

The most heavily debated element of President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is the constitutionality of the individual health insurance mandate, which requires e

Research & Commentary: Special-Needs Vouchers

Joy Pullmann
March 26, 2012

Seven states currently offer special-needs students the opportunity to take their public funds to a private school, and at least 10 more states are currently considering similar legislation.

Research & Commentary: Hydraulic Fracturing Impact Fees

March 12, 2012

Hydraulic fracturing has enabled profitable extraction of oil and gas in diverse areas of the country.

Research & Commentary: Workers’ Compensation Reform in Illinois (Update)

Matthew Glans
March 8, 2012

Illinois has the third-highest workers’ compensation insurance rates of any state in the United States.

Backgrounder: Hydraulic Fracturing

James M. Taylor, J.D.
March 6, 2012

The recent discovery of vast deposits of oil and natural gas trapped in shale rock formations has revolutionized our nation’s short-term, mid-term, and long-term energy outlook.