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Student achievement gains eroded amid shift to “social justice” education  

April 15th is more than a filing deadline – it’s a moment to reflect on how tax policy shapes the economic trajectory of Massachusetts. As residents finalize their returns, a broader question looms: are current tax policies helping the state grow, or quietly pushing people and capital...

Data show the requirements increase rents, reduce housing development 

This April edition of The House Call discusses a federal bill that, if passed, would be the most comprehensive supply-focused federal housing legislation enacted in decades. It also explains Massachusetts’ starter home zoning district program and its potential implementation challenges.

Massachusetts lost 35,000 private-sector jobs and is one of just six states yet to regain pre-pandemic employment levels  Boston – Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirm that the Commonwealth has lost even more private sector jobs in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic than previously understood.  Pioneer Institute’s March 2025 report Massachusetts at Risk: The Alarming...

New Pioneer brief finds Massachusetts has reported just 20 AI use cases, only three of them directly serving constituents. 

Questions abound about the resilience of the Massachusetts economy.  Pioneer Institute has documented that high-net-worth individuals are fleeing the state for states with friendlier tax environments.  There is also a question about whether small businesses in the state can sustain and thrive in a business environment increasingly characterized by high...

Analysis compares decade-long changes in tax rates, private sector employment, and revenue growth in two competing state economies

At a legislative hearing today before the Special Committee on Initiative Petitions, Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios testified on the urgency of addressing Massachusetts’ affordability crisis, slowing job growth, and continued loss of investment, and why a gradual reduction in the...

Historical evidence shows revenues rose after early-2000s tax cuts; FY2002 decline driven by economic shock, not policy