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Pioneer empowers Americans to live freely and thrive
Education Healthcare Opportunity Citizenship
Education Healthcare Opportunity Citizenship

Agenda for Leadership 2026 is available!

A policy blueprint for a more competitive Massachusetts. Available now on Amazon!

Latest Publications

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Healthcare
September 9, 2026

Statement of Pioneer Institute on MassBio Industry Snapshot

The MassBio Industry Snapshot records something Massachusetts has never seen before: the first contraction of our life sciences workforce since the Life Sciences Initiative passed in 2008—roughly 3,600 jobs lost, and the losses concentrated in research and development, the intellectual core of the industry.
American Citizenship
September 2, 2026

Reforming Massachusetts’ Ballot Initiative Process

Massachusetts has one of the most restrictive ballot initiative systems in the country. So why are lawmakers considering new barriers instead of fixing what’s broken?
Healthcare
September 1, 2026

Big Hospitals, Small Charity: The 340B Accountability Gap

The federal 340B program was introduced to aid safety-net hospitals – institutions that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients – through access to heavily discounted drugs at the manufacturers’ expense. The program has grown into a $100 billion enterprise, surpassing Medicaid…
Education
August 31, 2026

When Education Philanthropy Loses Focus

What is it about education that causes otherwise disciplined people from business and philanthropy to forget the very lessons that made them successful? Focus on the core business, measure results, and change course when something isn’t working. Yet in education there is a recurring temptation to broaden the mission, multiply the objectives, and assume that addressing more of the problems surrounding children will eventually produce better academic results.
Pioneer Legal
August 27, 2026

Massachusetts Families Draw Broad National Support in Supreme Court Bid Over Special Education Rights

BOSTON: In a significant move, the U.S. Supreme Court has ordered Massachusetts to respond to a case challenging a state rule that blocks children with disabilities from getting special education services at the private schools their parents chose for them.

Latest Podcasts

Excel Academy Charter School’s Owen Stearns on Academic Quality & Bridging Gaps

September 9, 2026

Pepperdine Law’s Pulitzer Winner Edward Larson on the Spirit of 1776

September 2, 2026

U-MN Law’s Ilan Wurman on U.S. Constitutional Originalism

August 26, 2026
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Impact

When We Succeed

Pioneer succeeds when its research, communications, litigation, and coalition-building lead to tangible improvements in Americans’ lives—access to world-class learning options for students; affordable and innovative care for patients; and plentiful jobs, a rich civic life, and individual liberty for all.

We focus on state policy as a proving ground—testing, refining, and demonstrating reforms that work, in order to raise the bar for opportunity across the United States.

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Philanthropic support fuels our ability to deliver bold ideas, rigorous research, and real-world impact—advancing solutions that shape policy and strengthen communities.

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Explore Our Work

Opportunity
August 26, 2026

Massachusetts Should Stop Taxing the Trucks That Deliver Its Goods

Education
August 24, 2026

Heather Cox Richardson’s Bowdlerized History of School Choice

Pioneer Legal
August 18, 2026

Pioneer New England Legal Foundation Urges DOR to Reopen Tax Assessments Probe After Boston Makes Initial Disclosure of 150 Properties Affected by Retaliatory Assessment Increases

Data Labs
August 13, 2026

SNAP Reform Poised to Wreak Havoc on State Budgets Due to High Error Rates

Data Labs
August 13, 2026

The high cost of living in Massachusetts: why the Commonwealth’s wages don’t stretch far

Opportunity
August 10, 2026

Proposed Zoning Reforms Would Legalize Detached Accessory Dwelling Units in Some Boston Neighborhoods

Opportunity
August 5, 2026

Study Finds Widening Gap Between Innovation and Broader State Economy

Data Labs
July 30, 2026

How U.S. K-12 Education Can Prepare Students for an AI-Driven Future

Fact of the day

Dependency Index – Federal Money to the States

Think you know which states depend most on Washington? Pioneer’s new Dependency Index may change your mind. Alaska ranks most dependent on federal funds, and Idaho ranks least. Check out where your state ranks here! https://loom.ly/6LMwO0c

View More Data

Policy Priorities

Education Healthcare Opportunity American Citizenship

PioneerEducation supports excellent school options for all children, world-class liberal arts-based academic standards, and accountability for results in public education.

PioneerHealthcare champions market-based reforms to rein in the cost and improve the quality of care for patients.

PioneerOpportunity seeks a business climate in which entrepreneurs and employees benefit from a thriving economy.

American Citizenship:  To increase public engagement in the nation’s civic life, Pioneer champions K-12 history and civics education, and provides transparent government data for citizens to hold their state governments accountable.