A “bottlenecker” is someone who uses the power of the government to limit competition in the market and artificially boost their own profits. Bottleneckers use a variety of methods to achieve their goals, including tax loopholes, regulations, occupational licensing requirements, minimum wage laws and many more. The end result when these special interest bottleneckers succeed is fewer choices and higher prices for consumers, fewer job opportunities for workers and less innovation throughout the economy.

Please join us as we welcome Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, as guest speaker at the Mackinac Center Legacy Society Annual Luncheon this year. Mr. Bandow will share the moral arguments for free-market principles in his talk, Morality of Capitalism.

Unionized workers are forced to accept union representation whether they want it or not, even though Michigan is a right-to-work state.  Right-to-work takes away a union’s ability to get a worker fired for not paying them. However with the law unions are still given a monopoly to represent all workers on a job. They must provide representation even to those not paying them. While unions like their monopoly they still complain about what they call “free riders” – those forced to accept their services but not paying for them.  Unions have brought legal challenges in several states claiming right-to-work violates constitutional takings clauses because of this so-called free rider issue.

Retiree benefits are a national crisis, but some cities and states have made significant reforms that are saving money and preventing liabilities being pushed off onto future generations. This event will discuss the scope of the problem and what Michigan should be doing to solve it.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Mackinac Center for Public Policy have partnered to bring Jonathan Williams, vice president of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at ALEC and co-author of the 9th Edition of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index. Mr. Williams will discuss the policy trends over the years that helped Michigan's economy recover and what needs to be done to keep Michigan moving forward.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Northwood University Forum for Citizenship & Enterprise cordially invite you to join us in celebrating the 10^th Annual Milton Friedman Legacy Day.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy announces our 2016 Planning for Life Workshops around Michigan.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy announces our 2016 Planning for Life Workshops around Michigan.

Nonpublic schools serve tens of thousands of Michigan elementary and secondary students, yet a clear understanding of the state's diverse private education landscape has been lacking. While most states (including those on our borders) have enacted some kind of publicly funded choice program, Michigan private schools fight in the Legislature for a small share of funding to cover the state’s health and safety mandates. In order to expand choice, Michigan must overcome a stringent constitution, as well as some popular misconceptions about private schools.

The Affordable Care Act dramatically changed the healthcare market throughout the United States and expanded the control of the federal government over healthcare policies. Despite this fact, there are still reforms that states can make that could expand the access and reduce the cost of medical services. This event will feature several experts who will discuss reforms that Michigan policymakers should consider if they want to improve healthcare services in this state.