Policy Studies
-
Senate Bill 127: Expanding the Existing Charter School Cap
Publication -Policy Studies -Senate Bill 127, along with its companion, House Bill 936, is one of several bills put forward this session to expand the existing charter school cap in Texas. Th ough the tenants of SB 127 are simple, this is important legislation for Texas. -
Introducing ‘Article V 2.0’: The Compact for a Balanced Budget
Publication -Policy Studies -As the federal debt approaches $18 trillion, a balanced budget amendment has emerged as one of few viable options to curb government spending. The Article V process for amending the U.S. Constitution, however, is long and tedious. -
Social Impacts of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) Mining: Land Use and Value
Publication -Policy Studies -The “social” impact of sand-mining operations, including their impact on land use, scenic beauty, and property values, can be a sensitive topic. Emotion and opinion, rather than technical facts and scientific data, tend to dominate the discussion. -
Roadway Impacts of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) Mining
Publication -Policy Studies -As many as 9,000 non-metallic mines operate in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – approximately one mine for every 3,000 residents. Until recently, those mines have operated without opposition. -
Economic Impacts of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) Mining
Publication -Policy Studies -Second in a series#137 (May 2015) Environmental Impacs of Industrial Silica Sand (Frac Sand) MiningHydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production has dramatically increased the demand for industrial silica sand, known as “frac sand,” available -
How do Electronic Cigarettes affect Adolescent Smoking?
Publication -Policy Studies -Understanding electronic cigarettes’ effect on tobacco smoking is a central economic and policyissue. This paper examines the causal impact of e-cigarette availability on conventional cigaretteuse by adolescents. -
In Defense of Private Civic Engagement: Why the Assault on ‘Dark Money’ Threatens Free Speech – and How to Stop the Assault
Publication -Policy Studies -Being able to speak freely and donate money anonymously has a long and distinguished history in the U.S. The Declaration of Independence, the campaigns for approval of the U.S. -
2015 Welfare Reform Report Card Executive Summary
Publication -Policy Studies -In the nearly two decades since the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was signed into law, the nation has seen a major reduction in the number of welfare recipients. -
2015 Welfare Reform Report Card
Publication -Policy Studies -Most state governments can improve the effectiveness of their efforts to help those in poverty. This 50-state report card offers policymakers and the public a roadmap for how it can be done. -
Hydraulic Fracturing a Game-Changer for U.S. Energy and Economies
Publication -Policy Studies -Vast reserves of oil and natural gas have been known to exist in shale formations throughout the United States for decades, but extracting these resources was not economically viable until the advent of “smart drilling” technology – the combination of -
The Municipal Government Debt Crisis
Publication -Policy Studies -June 20, 2013 – The 518 taxing districts within Cook County have a combined “financial burden” of almost $34 billion - an average of $17,147 per Cook County household - according to a study released today by The Heartland Institute and Truth in -
Wired to Waste
Publication -Policy Studies -As the 21st Century evolves and our economy begins to recover, there is near-universal agreement on the importance of expanding Americans’ access to high-speed Internet service. -
Property & Casualty Insurance Report Card, 2011 Edition
Publication -Policy Studies -Each of the past four years, The Heartland Institute has released a report that asks fundamental questions about the nation’s property and casualty insurance regulatory environment. -
Why Some Cities Are Growing and Others Shrinking
Publication -Policy Studies -Florida Gulf Coast University Associate Professor of Economics Dean Stansel studies migration and taxation data for 100 American metropolitian areas, finding statistically significant correlations between rates of taxation and individuals' choices to -
An Unsustainable Path: The Past and Future of Kentucky Medicaid Spending
Publication -Policy Studies -John Garen, professor in economics at the University of Kentucky and adjunct scholar at the Bluegrass Institute, writes an extensive study on the expansion of Medicaid in his state. -
Collective Bargaining in California Charter Schools: Cooperation or Conflict?
Publication -Policy Studies -As unions begin to target charter schools, James Moss in his doctoral dissertation for the University of Southern California describes the effects a unionizing workforce has on charter teachers, administrators, and students' educations. -
Amending the Constitution By Convention: A More Complete View of the Founder’s Plan
Publication -Policy Studies -Rob Natleson, senior fellow of the Independence Institute, presents his first policy study relating to amending the Constitution of the United States through an Article V convention. -
No. 129 2010 State School Report Card
Publication -Policy Studies -A Nation at Risk pointed out more than 25 years ago that the poor quality of public schools in the United States is a threat to the continuing prosperity of the country. -
No. 128 The Obamacare Disaster
Publication -Policy Studies -Earlier this year, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. -
The Economic Impact of Regulating U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under the Clean Air Act
Publication -Policy Studies -The imposition of greenhouse gas permitting requirements on stationary sources will negatively impact U.S. investment, job growth and economic competitiveness during the next several years and beyond. -
Amicus Brief: McDonald v. Chicago
Publication -Policy Studies -McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 3020 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on June 28, 2010, that determined whether the Second Amendment applies to the individual states. -
No. 127 2010 Property and Casualty Insurance Report Card
Publication -Policy Studies -For the past three years The Heartland Institute has annually released a report asking two simple, fundamental questions about America’s system of state insurance regulation:1. -
No. 126 The State Public Pension Crisis: A 50-State Report Card
Publication -Policy Studies -Taxpayers in almost every U.S. state owe large and possibly unpayable retirement pensions to the men and women who work for the government. -
No. 125 Ten Ways Consumer-Driven Health Care Is a Proven Success
Publication -Policy Studies -A revolution is underway in American health care, but you won’t read about it in newspapers or see it on TV.