MBTAAnalysis: A look inside the MBTA

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The MBTA shuttles over a million passengers a day around Greater…

The Clock is Ticking…….

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The clock is ticking towards December 30, 2017.  As part of…

What’s Included in Massachusetts’ $5.2 Billion Housing Bond Bill?

On August 1, 2024, the Massachusetts state legislature finalized…

MIT’s Nobel Winner Joshua Angrist on the Economics of Education & Charter Public Schools

Prof. Angrist explores the controversies and his motivations behind studying K-12 education, emphasizing what policymakers often overlook about education and labor markets. He discusses his groundbreaking research on charter schools, highlighting how his findings have influenced policymakers. Angrist also talks about his Nobel-winning work on the analysis of causal relationships in economics and the innovative research currently underway at Blueprint, his lab at MIT.

Understanding the Trends in Massachusetts’ Sin Tax Revenues

Sin Taxes, which are taxes on goods and services that are considered harmful or immoral, have brought in a significant amount of revenue for Massachusetts.

Property Tax Reassessment: Beleaguered Buildings Bear Burden of Boston’s Burgeoning Budget

Joe Selvaggi talks with Marty Walz, the interim president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, about more viable, long-term alternatives to Mayor Wu’s property tax classification proposal.

Pioneer Institute Statement on the Project Labor Agreement Provision in the Massachusetts Economic Development Bill

Governor Healey should veto a provision in the recently passed…

Massachusetts Affordability and Competitiveness Ranking is in Freefall

Each year, CNBC ranks the 50 states on 10 broad categories of…

Stanford’s Arnold Rampersad on Jackie Robinson

Stanford University Prof. Arnold Rampersad, author of Jackie Robinson: A Biography, discusses the life and legacy of Robinson, the hall of fame baseball player and history-changing civil rights leader.

Registering Republican Realignment: GOP Convention Showcases Conservatism’s New Direction

Joe Selvaggi talks with the CATO Institute’s Dr. Norbert Michel about the shift in the Republican vision and policy goals from decades past, as reflected in the nominees and guest speakers at the 2024 GOP Convention.

Disparities in LIHTC Data Illuminate Difficulties in Housing Production

While disparities in LIHTC awards and issuances are to be expected, the mismatch points to inhibitors of housing production that are outside the scope of the program's impact.

Examining the New Massachusetts Estate Tax

The new Massachusetts estate tax may be correlated to lower estate tax revenues. However, the inclusion of out-of-state property in the estate tax calculation has brought about important legal questions.

Study: U.S. Immigration System Limits Benefits Foreign Students Could Provide

Slow, inefficient system that discourages entrepreneurship puts U.S. at a competitive disadvantage

Pulitzer Winner Kai Bird on Robert Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb

Mr. Bird focuses on the life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb.” He discusses Oppenheimer's impact on history, his early life and education, and his academic achievements in quantum physics. Bird covers Oppenheimer's political views, relationships, as well as his leadership in the Manhattan Project and his role in the Trinity test.

Candidate Selection Breakdown: Presidential Primary Primacy or Determined Delegate Detour

Joe Selvaggi talks with MIT Professor Charles Stewart III about the political party’s presidential candidate nomination process and what or who ultimately decides who is chosen.

Do No Harm to the Health Policy Commission

With only weeks left in the Massachusetts legislative calendar,…

Is Free Community College What Massachusetts Needs?

The Massachusetts Senate proposed making community college tuition free for all residents of the Commonwealth as part of its FY2025 budget. Pioneer explores whether this program is what Massachusetts needs to prepare its residents for gainful employment and how it interacts with the state's extensive workforce development infrastructure.

Georgetown’s Dr. Marguerite Roza on Federal ESSER Funds & the Fiscal Cliff

Dr. Roza explores the complexities of education finance and its impact on American K-12 education. She outlines the three phases of school funding over the past 40 years and their effect on equity and student achievement. She highlights that only about half of the K-12 education dollars reach student instruction, with significant funds absorbed by the ever-expanding education bureaucracy.

Unemployment in Massachusetts by Race

Unemployment rates vary based on racial groups. Most minority groups face higher unemployment rates in Massachusetts than the majority White population.

Breaking Down Encampments: Court Finds no Right to Sleep Outdoors

Joe Selvaggi speaks with Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Stephen Eide about the Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court decision and its impact on homeless encampments in Boston and across the country.

Harlow Giles Unger on Patrick Henry & American Liberty

 Mr. Unger delves into the life of Patrick Henry as the country celebrates the Fourth of July. He explores Henry's early life, his rise as a lawyer and political figure, and his fiery opposition to British policies. Mr. Unger highlights Henry's famous "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech and his influential role as governor of Virginia, underscoring his enduring legacy in helping forge American independence. In closing, he reads a passage from his book, Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation. 

Underfunding Overdose Alternatives: Price Controls Hinder Search for Non-Addictive Opioids

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute's Director of Healthcare Initiatives, Dr. Bill Smith, about the challenges posed by new regulations and price controls for developing alternatives to addictive opioids.

Latest IRS Migration Data Show Exodus from Massachusetts Continues

Massachusetts shed more than double the amount of adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2022 than any year prior to 2020, making it fifth among states in net AGI out-migration behind only California, New York, Illinois and New Jersey, according to data released Thursday by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Making Sense of Post-COVID Student Attendance Data in Massachusetts

The lockdowns and school closures that occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 had quite an impact on student attendance. While absences increased substantially between 2019 and 2022, data shows that absences may be on their way to decreasing to pre-pandemic levels.

Cape Cod Restricts Fourth of July Parties: What’s the Economic Impact?

With Fourth of July parties getting out of hand in recent years, Dennis Police established measures to limit the number of beachgoers this year. This may have an impact on Dennis economically, but it is a choice Dennis feels is worth making.

Prof. Joel Richard Paul on Daniel Webster, U.S. Senate, & “Liberty and Union”

Prof. Joel Richard Paul discusses the statesman Daniel Webster, highlighting his reputation as the "conscience of New England" and one of America's greatest orators. Prof. Paul shares that Webster, despite a modest upbringing, became a leading attorney whose arguments in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases shaped constitutional law. 

Unlocking Affordable Housing: Sources and Solutions for Cost Crisis

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute Housing Fellow Andrew Mikula about his research on the causes and cures for our region's highest-in-the-nation housing costs. 

New Online Tool Tracks MA Hospital Revenue from Commercial Sources

A new online tool from Pioneer Institute shows a gradual increase in non-commercial (public payer) revenue at Massachusetts hospitals and also reveals a strong relationship between the hospitals with the highest commercial revenue and those with the highest relative prices.

Steven Wilson on Charter Public Schools

Mr. Wilson delves into his extensive background, including his tenure at Pioneer Institute, his work with Governor Bill Weld, and his contributions to the landmark 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act. Steven shares insights into the high academic expectations and success of Boston's charter schools, emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining quality teachers and principals.

Part I: It May Be Better to Be Unemployed in Massachusetts than in Connecticut or New Hampshire

Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire all rank among…

Jawboning Free Speech: State Coercion Finds Limits at Supreme Court

Joe Selvaggi talks with Cato Institute legal scholar Thomas Berry about the effects of the 9-0 Supreme Court decision in NRA v. Vullo on states' ability to use regulation to target disfavored free speech.