Recent Research

Research & Commentary: Sequestration Impact on Education

Joy Pullmann
October 8, 2012

In the 2011 federal budget deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, Congress set up automatic cuts to federal spending that would kick in if they could not agree on how to cut each department speci

Research & Commentary: Arkansas’ Mediocre Education Quality

Joy Pullmann
October 4, 2012

As significant education reforms sweep the country, Arkansas has made few consequential reforms in the past decade.

Research & Commentary: Texas Pension Reform

Matthew Glans
October 3, 2012

Like many other states across the nation, Texas faces tough decisions about the pension benefits it provides its state employees.

Research & Commentary: Voice over Internet Protocol Deregulation

Matthew Glans
October 3, 2012

A product that is quickly changing the telecom industry and how people communicate is voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calling, where voice and multimedia communication are conducted and transmi

21 Reasons Why the San Antonio Pre-K Tax Plan Is a Bad Idea

Jeff Judson
October 2, 2012

On November 6, voters in San Antonio, Texas will vote on whether the city should own and operate a network of early childhood education centers. The initiative is controversial, and rightly so.

The Ryan Budget vs. the Obama Budget

Peter Ferrara
September 21, 2012

By selecting House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his running mate, Republican candidate Mitt Romney reframed the 2012 presidential election as a contest between Ryan’s 2013 proposed

Research & Commentary: Wyoming Health Insurance Exchange and Medicaid Expansion

Kendall Antekeier
September 19, 2012

Like most states after the Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Wyoming continues to debate how best to maintain control over its health care system.

Research & Commentary: Omaha Cigarette Occupation Tax

Matthew Glans
September 14, 2012

In the past two years, Omaha restaurant customers have paid around $50 million in taxes, and the city is now considering levying a new occupation tax on smokers.

Research & Commentary: Food Stamp Reform

Matthew Glans
September 13, 2012

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as the Food Stamp program, has become one of the fastest-growing welfare programs of the U.S. government.

Research & Commentary: The Connect America Fund and Broadband Internet Taxes

Matthew Glans
September 13, 2012

In 2011 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the Connect America Fund (CAF) by taking $4.5 billion from the Universal Service Fund (USF) designed to provide advanced telecommunicatio