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…

Boston Policy Institute and Pioneer Institute Announce Boston DataLabs: New Tool Will Allow for Easy and Powerful Municipal Government Accountability

The Boston Policy Institute together with Pioneer Institute today announced the launch of Boston DataLabs, an online platform designed to empower Boston residents, journalists, researchers, and policymakers with clear, accessible insights into the city’s payroll and budget.

Fixing the Foundation: Can Massachusetts’ Infrastructure Reach National Standards?

While Massachusetts may be known for having the worst drivers in the country, this judgment might unfairly punish drivers for a factor beyond their control—the quality of the roads and bridges they drive on. According to US Data Labs, Massachusetts has fallen behind the national average in both road and bridge quality over the past 15-25 years.

Pioneer Institute Launches US DataLabs: A Powerful New Tool for Citizen Engagement and Government Accountability

Pioneer Institute today announced the launch of US DataLabs, a groundbreaking online platform designed to empower citizens with the data needed to effectively engage with policy makers.  

Average Weekly Wages of Healthcare Workers Across a Decade

From 2012-22 the healthcare and social assistance sector has seen the smallest growth in average weekly wages of any large industry in Massachusetts. This potentially has dire consequences on the employment crisis that this industry already faces.

Suffolk County Residential and Commercial Taxation Changes Since 2018

Massachusetts is a relatively rich state, with an average assessed…

What makes these five so-called “W” towns so appealing?

Learn about what makes these five Massachusetts "W" towns so desirable to live in, but also the costs associated with them.

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.

Examining the Academic Achievement Decline in New England Prior to COVID-19

COVID-19 was not the beginning of student performance declines in the United States. Academic achievement for students across the country began to drop-off following the widespread implementation of the Common Core curriculum in 2013. While declines have occurred across the country, New England has experienced a particularly sharp decrease in student achievement.

Massachusetts Legislature Procrastinates Once Again

There are less than seven weeks left to the Massachusetts Legislature’s…

Testimony – Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Testimony - Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions

Sunshine Week 2024

Partly Sunny with a Chance of Transparency As Pioneer Institute…

Pioneer Commends MA Governor-elect Healey’s Step Toward Greater Transparency

Pioneer Institute commends Governor-elect Maura Healey for choosing not to claim a public records exemption for the governor’s office. Governor-elect Healey also pledged to support legislation that would curb exemptions claimed by the legislative and judiciary branches of state government.

Massachusetts Needs a Comprehensive Performance Management Framework

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Many states have made promoted government efficiency and effectiveness by setting goals and tracking their progress. Massachusetts tried making a performance structure, but in 2014 it was discontinued. Today, the state lacks a comprehensive structure to track progress.

School-Age Population Remains Steady, but Boston Struggles With Declining Enrollment

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Hopefully, new leadership will ensure that the system makes the changes necessary to improve public education in Boston. Otherwise, enrollment declines will continue. 

New Report: Massachusetts Maintains Reasonable Debt Relative to GSP

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Massachusetts has more debt than any New England state. Can we afford to pay it off or will we hand it down to future generations?

New Hampshire Tax Burden Dramatically Less than Massachusetts

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New Hampshire collects less than half the amount of taxes per capita as Massachusetts. How do they do it, and which strategy produces better outcomes?

Looming Budget Crisis Reveals MBTA’s Dependency on Federal Funds

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The MBTA is about to lose federal funding at a critical moment when ridership has not yet recovered. Will the state make up the difference?
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Healthcare Employs More on Cape Cod Than Any Other Sector

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Despite being a major tourist destination, the largest employment sector on Cape Cod is not related to tourism: it is healthcare!

With Declining Enrollment, Public Colleges in Massachusetts Cut Back Adjunct Faculty Positions

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The number of adjunct faculty positions is declining at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Tax Revenues Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels

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Pandemic recovery and then some! Massachusetts revenues are higher than anyone was expecting, but where is all the money coming from? And what does this mean for the Massachusetts economy?

Sunshine Week 2022 – Government Transparency Has a Great New Ally

While government transparency is a year-round pursuit, Sunshine Week marks a unique opportunity to reflect on our past work and plan for our future work to weave this most necessary fabric of a free and healthy democracy.

Pioneer Institute Applauds Secretary Galvin’s Legislation to Subject Governor’s Office to Public Records Law, Calls for End to Legislative Exemption

Pioneer Institute applauds Secretary of State William Galvin for filing legislation that would subject the governor’s office to the Commonwealth’s public records law.  Since 1997, Massachusetts governors have broadly interpreted the Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling in Lambert v. Judicial Nominating Council to shield themselves from releasing certain documents.  Secretary Galvin’s legislation would prohibit future governors from doing so.

How did COVID impact Massachusetts’ long-term care facilities?

Pioneer Institute has filed a Public Records Act request related to COVID's impact on Massachusetts’ long-term care facilities because the Institute believes this is a matter of obvious importance, both on principle (the public has a right to know the facts), and for purposes of evaluating – and where possible improving – public policy. 

NEW: MassWatch IRS Data Discovery Tool

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If you want a window into taxation, to learn where Massachusetts residents move to and where new residents are coming from, Pioneer Institute has an innovative research tool for you. With Pioneer’s new Mass IRS Data Discovery Tool, you can now compare state-to-state or year-to-year tax data without downloading up to 2,000 IRS files in many different, cumbersome formats.

The COVID-19 Impact on Massachusetts Community College Enrollment & Success Trends

Enrollment at Massachusetts community colleges has dropped 32.61…

Massachusetts Is Losing Adjusted Gross Income to No-Income Tax State Migration

In light of a proposed tax increase on million-dollar annual…

COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Pioneer is proud to present a new vaccine tracker, the newest tool in our COVID-19 tracking project. Pioneer distilled the vaccination data down to those who are either fully vaccinated or partially vaccinated, by all the demographic categories published by the DPH. Use the new tool below to compare rates among groups, by municipality and by county. We will update the data every week.