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

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Opportunity
February 2, 2026

A Steady-State Budget in a Moment of Crisis 

Governor Maura Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget totals $62.8 billion, a 3.8 percent year-over-year increase. The budget avoids sweeping new initiatives and largely preserves existing structures. That might be defensible in a period of stability. It is indefensible now. 
Education
January 29, 2026

Poll Finds Massachusetts Residents Overwhelmingly Support Expanding Vocational Schools

A new statewide poll finds overwhelming support among Massachusetts adults for expanding vocational-technical high school capacity, along with broad backing for school choice options, including the new Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
Opportunity
January 28, 2026

10 Reasons to Discount ITEP’s Analysis of the Proposed Income Tax Cut

Context Pioneer Institute has previously gone toe-to-toe with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) over flawed and misleading tax analyses—notably ITEP’s advocacy for the 2022 surtax on high earners as good for the Bay State economy. That argument that has proven to hold about…
Opportunity
January 28, 2026

New Census Data Show Massachusetts Would Be Losing Population Without Immigration 

Newly released Census Bureau data show that Massachusetts’ population growth is now entirely dependent on immigration, as domestic out-migration rose again in 2025 and underlying demographic and economic weaknesses reasserted themselves. 
Opportunity
January 23, 2026

Statement of Jim Stergios, Executive Director of Pioneer Institute on State of the Commonwealth Address

“Families won’t feel relief as long as state spending keeps growing at twice the pace of their paychecks. Massachusetts families listening to the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth are confronting rising housing, energy, and healthcare costs even as state government continues to expand. Real affordability starts with slowing state spending, cutting waste, strengthening oversight of government agencies, and redirecting savings to local…

Latest Podcasts

Hedgehog Review’s Jay Tolson on Walker Percy, Southern Catholic Novelist

January 28, 2026

Award-Winner Ruth Franklin on Anne Frank & Holocaust Remembrance

January 27, 2026

Stanford’s Dr. Lerone Martin & NC State’s Dr. Jason Miller on MLK’s Dream & Langston Hughes’s Poetry

January 19, 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

Transportation
January 21, 2026

Statement in Response to Transportation for Massachusetts Report and MassBudget and Policy Center

Opportunity
January 12, 2026

In Cambridge, New Lawsuit Challenges Constitutionality of Mandatory Set-Asides for Affordable Housing

Healthcare
January 12, 2026

State Report Card on Telehealth Reform: Incremental Progress in 2025 Leaves Many States Unprepared for Rural Health Transformation Funding

Opportunity
January 8, 2026

Pioneer Institute Statement on Mayor Wu’s Decision to Add $100 Million to the Cost of Building a New Madison Park Technical Vocational High School   

Opportunity
January 8, 2026

Statement of Jim Stergios on New Economic Modeling of Proposed Income Tax Reduction

Pioneer Legal
December 17, 2025

Pioneer New England Legal Foundation and Sullivan & Worcester Sue Boston Over Retaliatory Tax Scheme

Opportunity
December 9, 2025

Massachusetts Subsidized Housing Inventory Update Shows Record Number of Communities Exceed Critical Threshold

Education
December 3, 2025

Book Highlights Advances in Digital Education, Policies to Unlock Its Benefits 

Fact of the day

Crime Rates: Homicide, 2024

In 2024, Massachusetts has the second lowest homicide rate in the nation, at 2 homicides per 100K population. Only Hawaii is lower (1.6). The highest rates were in DC (25.5) and New Mexico (13.1). Find this data on Pioneer’s new US DataLabs website! https://loom.ly/U4Y1-ow

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.