America / Education / Politics / U.S. Domestic Policy

School Choice: A Bipartisan Solution to the Failures of Public Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Rose Laoutaris Introduction The issue of school choice has been debated for decades between parents, teachers, and politicians. While the idea is not necessarily new, the concept of school choice became popular after Milton Friedman published his book, “The Role of Government in Education,” and in response to the increasing control state and federal … Continue reading

Understanding Universal Basic Income
Economy / Labor Force / Social Insurance Programs / U.S. Domestic Policy

Understanding Universal Basic Income

Introduction In December 2018, Finland’s Social Insurance Institution, KELA, terminated their two-year Universal Basic Income (UBI) experiment that aimed to “increase employment and simplify the Social Security system” citing insignificant changes in the employment rate of participants. Despite this outcome, prominent U.S. figures–such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg– and the California Democratic Party still … Continue reading

The Opioid Epidemic’s Age Blindness
America / Labor Force / Politics / U.S. Domestic Policy

The Opioid Epidemic’s Age Blindness

The single strongest indicator of the opioid crisis is drug overdoses, which have grown rapidly in recent years due to opioid dependency. The rise in overdose deaths has been driven by opioid dependency, fueled by over prescription. Between 1999 and 2015, prescription opioid sales per capita rose 356 percent[1]. During that period, opioid-related deaths quadrupled. … Continue reading

VBP Has the Chance to Become the MVP
America / Economy / Healthcare / Medicaid / Medicare / U.S. Domestic Policy

VBP Has the Chance to Become the MVP

America has a drug problem that goes well beyond opiates and abuse. Pharmaceutical drug prices have skyrocketed in the last decade and fueled an overall increase in health care costs and spending[1]. The top ten most prescribed medications have all risen more than 50% since 2011, with four out of ten having doubled in cost. … Continue reading

Labor Force / National Labor Relations Board / Politics / U.S. Domestic Policy

The American Franchise at Risk

On September 13th the House subcommittee on Worker Protection and the subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a congressional joint hearing to consider the Save Local Business Act. The proposed bill seeks to define joint employers as those who have “actual, direct, and immediate control” over employees and to roll back the Obama … Continue reading

Census Bureau Report Shows Rural America is Being Left Behind
America / Economy / Politics / U.S. Domestic Policy

Census Bureau Report Shows Rural America is Being Left Behind

Rural America is struggling. As blue-collar jobs move overseas and people flock to major cities in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, rural America is being left behind in the next wave of economic growth. President Donald Trump broke the Democratic “blue wall” in the 2016 presidential election by appealing to rural voters, running on a platform … Continue reading

The CRA, Regulation Day, and the Pathway for Regulatory Repeal
Politics / Regulation / U.S. Domestic Policy

The CRA, Regulation Day, and the Pathway for Regulatory Repeal

The phenomenon of “Midnight Regulations” — the high volume of rules issued as a lame duck President’s term winds down — has been well documented by the American Action Forum, as have Congressional attempts to curb the Midnight trend. Building on that analysis, we decided to investigate the effect of a 1996 law that was … Continue reading

The Dimming Beacon, The Future of Cuban Immigration to the United States-Part 2
Foreign Policy / Immigration / Trade / U.S. Domestic Policy

The Dimming Beacon, The Future of Cuban Immigration to the United States-Part 2

The Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA), as President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1966, no longer holds the same value. This change has not been at the hands of an amendment, or other piece legislation, rather it has been due to a shift in symbolic significance. Just as the embargo, one of the reasons … Continue reading