Michigan Hit Hard by Tariffs
President Bush's recently announced steel tariffs will be especially painful for Michigan's economy. … more
The Future of Flint
A mayoral recall will not fix the underlying problems facing Buick City. … more
Who Owes What to Whom?
Why "giving back to the community" is a poor description of philanthropic efforts. … more
A Privatization Revolution
Rwanda, in the heart of Africa, is engaged in what may be the most ambitious and systematic privatization campaign of any country anywhere. … more
Lighting the Way in Africa
East Africa's first free-market think tank is established. … more
U.S. Senate Looks at CAFE
Energy debate is really about whether to score political points or save lives. … more
Compulsory Unionism in Public Schools
Some Michigan public school teachers are just saying "no" to compulsory unionism. … more
Free Trade a Sweeter Deal
Punitive sugar tariffs and import quotas are costing Michigan jobs. … more
Drilling and the Great Lakes
The Michigan Legislature recently voted to ban the extraction of oil and natural gas from beneath the Great Lakes. There may be aesthetic reasons to support such a ban, but insurance data confirm that the environmental risk is remote.
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Historic Principles vs. Districts
When buildings get to be of a certain age, they often take on historic significance. But is it necessary for that significance to overshadow time-honored principles of limited government, individual liberty, and private property rights? … more
Think Tanks and Success
The Atlas Economic Research Foundation interviews Mackinac Center President Lawrence Reed about what makes a successful think tank tick.
Education Week: Think Tank Influence
Mackinac Center Response to Union Attack
MEA Spends $200K, Gets Faulty Document and Embarrassing Questions … more
Education Week: Think Tank Influence
Mackinac Center Response to Union Attack
MEA Spends $200K, Gets Faulty Document and Embarrassing Questions … more
Do Thinks Tanks Have Too Much Influence?
Education Week reports that the MEA school union orchestrated an attack on Mackinac Center research to counter think tanks' "sophisticated publications and media strategy."
Mackinac Center Response to Union Attack
MEA Spends $200K, Gets Faulty Document and Embarrassing Questions … more
Mackinac Center Response to Union Attack
MEA Spends $200K, Gets Faulty Document and Embarrassing Questions … more
"Ambulance Wars"
Public and private emergency medical service providers have been competing in many areas across the country. Who is doing the best job? … more
What Teacher Shortage?
The teacher shortage "has been induced by rules, customs, and practices that could be changed with a flick of the policy-makers' wrists," a former U.S. Department of Education official writes in Michigan Education Report. … more
Education and the Feds
President Bush last month signed into law the "No Child Left Behind Act," the largest-ever increase in federal education spending and regulation. Michigan Education Report investigates what the law means for Michigan schools. … more
Putting Amtrak on Track
A congressionally appointed panel is recommending privatization for Amtrak, the money-losing national passenger rail service. Michigan Privatization Report examines the situation. … more
No Silver Lining to Sept. 11
"War is good for the economy," some pundits are saying as the federal government's "war on terror" escalates. But this is an old economic fallacy. … more
Bungle in "The Jungle"
Upton Sinclair's famous 1906 novel "The Jungle," which led to new federal regulations on the meatpacking industry, is based upon anti-market fallacies. … more
Drilling and the Great Lakes
There may be aesthetic reasons to ban drilling under the Great Lakes, but insurance data confirm the environmental risk is negligible. … more
A Dose of Privatization
Greater competition for quasi-public Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan is just what the doctor ordered. … more
MEDC Fights for Its Life
Michigan Economic Development Corporation bureaucrats, fearful of losing their jobs in a new administration, are making self-promotion their top priority in 2002. … more
Lower Taxes Hurt Children?
Mackinac Center President Lawrence Reed rebuts State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Watkins in a recent Lansing State Journal op-ed. … more
The Importance of Ideas
In shaping public policy-including the larger question of free enterprise or socialism, democracy or dictatorship-ideas are of paramount, decisive importance. … more
Celebrating Black History
Black History Month is a good time to recall the achievements of Michigan's-and America's-gifted black entrepreneurs. … more
Don't Delay Tax Cuts
Delaying or canceling already-scheduled tax cuts would be foolish economics, argues the Mackinac Center in a recent Detroit News op-ed. … more
Condemn Government Condemnation
Government abuse of its so-called condemnation power has unjustly deprived ordinary citizens of their private property for the benefit of big-league developers. … more
Volunteer Teachers Do Good
Much has been written on the failure of collegiate "schools of education" to properly prepare future teachers for the classroom. Now a new study highlights the good job that Teach for America, a private teacher program, is doing to place thousands of qualified and talented volunteer teachers in some of the nation's most troubled schools. … more
Enron and the Feds
A Mackinac Center scholar analyzes the Enron fiasco and finds the energy trading firm's problems are a powerful argument for less, not more, government. … more
Should the State Boost Broadband?
Gov. John Engler is touting the economic benefits of his proposed state takeover of Michigan's high-speed Internet network. But many unrealistic assumptions underlie the governor's claims, argues the Mackinac Center in a recent Detroit Free Press op-ed. … more
Amtrak and Privatization
The airport shutdowns and fear of flying that followed Sept. 11 gave Amtrak a surge in ridership. But Amtrak is still in terrible economic shape. Can privatization fix it? … more
Privatization and Hamtramck
State-appointed Emergency Financial Manager Lou Schimmel is privatizing to rescue the city of Hamtramck from its fiscal troubles. … more
Privatized Lighthouse Shines
A decaying historic lighthouse on Lake Superior's Granite Island is now thriving after ownership was transferred from the state to a private entrepreneur. … more
K-mart and State Subsidies
K-mart's announced bankruptcy is just the latest example of how the firms picked by the state for special tax breaks and subsidies-including K-mart-are seldom the most sound or successful. One year ago, the Mackinac Center told the similar story of Webvan, another state-favored company that went bankrupt. … more
Protecting Worker Rights
A recent Mackinac Center letter to the Wall Street Journal stresses the need for the Bush administration to protect workers' Beck rights. … more
Privatization and State Government
Contrary to what one might expect, the laws of the state of Michigan are surprisingly fair and even-handed when it comes to contracting out public services to private contractors. … more
Leave Internet Access to the Market
A short primer on the many problems with Gov. Engler's plan to involve the state in the deployment of high-speed Internet access. … more
Gambling on State-Funded Broadband
While state-sponsored ads warn citizens against the hazards of Internet gambling, the Legislature continues debate over Gov. Engler's risky plan to use taxes to deploy Internet broadband across the state. Michigan Privatization Report questions the justification for the dubious proposal. … more
Apples, Oranges, and Taxes
To skeptics who question the wisdom of his proposal for new taxes and state control of broadband deployment, Gov. John Engler offers as validation the success of Michigan's housing development program. But the similarities are slim and the benefits disputed. … more
A Socialist Think Tank?
"Socialism" and "think tank" are mutually exclusive-even contradictory. Socialism does, however, produce lots of tanks: tanks to suppress people who actually do think. … more
Wrong Way on Auto Policy
A Mackinac Center expert analyzes the Bush administration's approach toward the auto industry in a recent National Review Online commentary. … more
Is Freedom a Lost Cause?
Recent events have made the case for liberty an even harder sell. Are we making progress, and if so, how can we tell? … more
Good News for the New Year
Americans are living longer than at any time in history-76.9 years, on average. This is testimony to both the vibrancy of nature and the ingenuity of man. … more
Engler's Broadband Ambition
Gov. John Engler's ambitious plan for state control of high-speed Internet lines gets its first hearing in the Legislature today. In considering the proposal, lawmakers would do well to heed the dismal results of similar schemes in other states. … more
Little Town with a Big Name
The small town of Gladstone in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is named for a giant of liberty: William Ewart Gladstone, the 19th-century British prime minister whose uncompromising policies did so much to promote trade and individual freedom. … more
Grad Rates and Student Achievement
One popular method of measuring school success-graduation rates-may not accurately reflect either student proficiency or school excellence. … more
What About "Consumer Greed"?
People who complain about "corporate greed" being responsible for layoffs ought to stop and think about the role "consumer greed" plays in lost jobs. … more
Working for the Weekend?
Unionized city employees' rigid Monday to Friday work schedule makes Detroit public services and the people who rely on them suffer. … more
A License to Kill Competitors
A recently proposed law to license small auto dealers is just a way for big dealers to choke off competition. … more
