Articles
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Agriculture
From Farm to Fork: Government Policies Distort Food and Agricultural Markets
Whatever the merits of farm subsidies and food stamps, these federal programs have economic consequences that distort food prices, create inefficiencies, drive up taxes, and create winners and losers. There may be other countervailing reasons why one might support such policies, but we ought to at least understand the economic consequences that food and farm create.Jayson Lusk | June 1, 2015
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Education
Underpaid? Join the Club
The bottom line: Most Oklahomans receive lower pay than their counterparts in other states. Few of our occupations are near the top in the 50-state rankings. We simply cannot afford to compensate teachers like, say, Connecticut.Brandon Dutcher & J. Scott Moody | June 1, 2015
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Good Government
Uniform State Rules Make Sense For Uber, Lyft
No one would accept “local control” as a defense of government corruption. The purpose of government is justice—when one part of government forgets that, we look to another to step in.Jonathan Small & Trent England | June 1, 2015
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Budget & Tax
Free Market Friday: Strange priorities
Oklahoma’s legislative session has ended. Policymakers made policy changes that are significant, but passed a state budget that insults the reality Oklahomans face.Michael Carnuccio | May 29, 2015
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Education
Combating a culture of ‘disengagement and compulsory learning’
In an interesting and insightful blog post, Rob Miller, longtime principal at Jenks Middle School, recently reflected on “all the parallels between being an airline passenger and daily life as a student in a typical middle or high school classroom in America today.”Brandon Dutcher | May 27, 2015
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Education
Education savings accounts will put parents in charge
It’s clear that ESAs will enable more Oklahoma parents to afford the best educational options for their children.Brandon Dutcher | May 22, 2015
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Budget & Tax
Free Market Friday: Taxpayers protected
While this year’s budget agreement was hastily announced and appropriates more than last year, most taxpayers can rest assured they likely won’t see any tax increases this year to pay for the fiscally irresponsible increased spending.Michael Carnuccio | May 22, 2015
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Education
Oklahoma could learn from Minnesota's decentralized, choice-based preschool program
Who should benefit from government-funded preschool? That is the question posed by the American Enterprise Institute in response to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton's plan to introduce universal pre-K to the Minnesota public school system.Jennifer Doverspike | May 18, 2015
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Budget & Tax
Free Market Friday: Strings attached
Government transparency is a good thing for citizens; luckily, both still have a fighting chance this session.Michael Carnuccio | May 15, 2015
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Education
The Heart of the Reform Agenda: School Choice
School choice is decentralization in action. The history of education in America from Horace Mann to the very recent past is one of decentralized creation and then forced centralization, first by state government, and later by the Feds. The trend is now in the other direction. Charter schools, private schools, and even more so, homeschooling, are distributions of power from the center.Jason Reese | May 12, 2015