Articles

There is no plausible economic justification for government regulation of interior design rather than private certification. The idea that the state has the legitimate authority to tell people whether they can or cannot recommend shades of paint without a license is a moral absurdity.

An OCPA research fellow brings home lessons from Taiwan on education policy: ‘Take the dollars and use them for education’—whether the schools are public or private.

"One size fits all" doesn't work when it comes to providing education services

In the life of a reporter, you hear lots of stories. Many, even some good ones, never work their way into print. This one did. Among other things, it is a story about choices.

Recently, Oklahoma City University law professor Andrew Spiropoulos announced the launch of an OCPA-backed effort to study Oklahoma's ultra-populist constitution (see page 4). The intention is, "after long and careful study," to present possible reforms to state voters.

Policy discussions on education spending usually revolve around the assumption that more spending equals better educational outcomes and greater economic growth. Unfortunately, this is a very simplistic way to look at a complex public policy issue.

There has been a great deal of concern about what is called "civic illiteracy," the fact that not only students but even adults don't know the most basic principles of our government. Various groups, such as the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, have conducted surveys which indicate that, even in some of the best colleges and universities, students know less about the Constitution and about American history when they graduate than when they entered. Even those who score best seldom make above a 50 on a multiple-choice test.

Like most people, particularly those with children, I am constantly surprised by how quickly time passes. For example, I find it hard to believe that this is my 18th year teaching law in Oklahoma and that for most of these nearly two decades, I have been working with OCPA in an effort to change the direction of government in our state.

In sports, competition forces athletes to strive harder and get better in order to succeed. In business, competition encourages firms to serve the needs of their customers more efficiently. Likewise, more competition in Oklahoma's higher education system would be beneficial.

In sports, competition forces athletes to strive harder and get better in order to succeed. In business, competition encourages firms to serve the needs of their customers more efficiently. Likewise, more competition in Oklahoma's higher education system would be beneficial.