The Granholm Administration, Year One: An Evaluation
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has earned a letter grade of "B-minus" for her first year — above average as governors go, but with plenty of room for improvement. … more
Ask The Economist: The Benefits of Right-To-Work Laws; and What Is Inflation?
Are right-to-work laws beneficial for all unionized workers? Is a little inflation good for the economy? Ask the economist. … more
Some Subtler Arguments for Tariffs
Do tariffs save jobs? Do they reduce trade deficits? Do they help infant industries become established? Do they enhance national security? No, no, no and no. … more
Public Policy and American Business: The Privatization Revolution
In the past decade, a revolution has been taking place both in America and overseas, in which duties that should never have been the preserve of government in the first place, are being placed back into private hands. … more
Privatization, Profits and School Unions
The Michigan Education Association announces its support for profit-making in schools, as long as they get the profits. … more
Federal Labor Law Aggravates Northern Michigan Hospital Strike
By failing to recognize the diversity of interests among workers, the National Labor Relations Act has aggravated the nurses' strike at Northern Michigan Hospital. … more
Greater Transparency Could Have Helped Budget Battlers
Governor Granholm and the state Legislature might have put together a budget without higher taxes, had greater budget transparency revealed a host of non-critical, non-core items. … more
Charities Lobby for Higher Taxes
The recent spectacle of charitable institutions protesting and lobbying for government grants showed just how far government has co-opted civil society. … more
Mackinac Center Applauds DNR's Contract for Private Management of State-Owned Ski Area
Since when is owning and maintaining ski resorts a legitimate function of government? Now that "the Porkies" are being privately managed, Michigan's Department of Natural Resources should sell the ski area outright. … more
Why Michigan Should Start Refusing Federal Funds
Just because a government program is partially funded by the federal government doesn't mean it should be immune from consideration for budget cuts. … more
Consolidating Elections Is The Right Thing To Do
Michigan's Legislature has signed off on a package of bills that will put an end to "stealth" school millage elections, held on days when few voters are likely to participate. … more
Gov. Granholm's "Cool Cities" Campaign
Should government be involved in trying to make cities "cool" places to live, in order to attract a young, energetic workforce? … more
Your Tax Dollars At Work
The "omnibus appropriations bill" the U.S. House of Representatives just passed for Fiscal Year 2004 bears exquisite testimony to the profligacy of your federal government. And Michigan has a pork barrel too. … more
2,948 Jobs Won't Be Created if State Income Tax Cut Delayed, State Economic Model Shows
A widely respected economic modeling program predicts that delay of Michigan's scheduled cut in income tax from 4 percent to 3.9 percent will hurt the state's economy. … more
Telecom Regs Stifle Competition and Investment, Raising Costs and Killing Jobs, Analyst Says
Requiring wire line telephone companies to allow rivals to utilize their networks hasn't exactly produced the telecom competition Congress intended. … more
Competition Policy in Telecommunications
The U.S. telecommunications industry is mired in a financial crisis because of federal regulations that stifle competition rather than encouraging it. … more
MSU School Finance Study Too Narrow to Support Tax Hike Recommendation
In a new study, MSU economists claim a tax hike is necessary for Michigan's public schools. Yet, they have ignored important considerations and failed to make their case. … more
Charter School Forces Flint Public Schools to Compete
Public schools in Flint have launched a Madison-Avenue-style ad campaign to stop the flow of students to local charter schools. … more
Are Targeted Tax Incentives Constitutional?
A legal case may determine that it is unconstitutional for states to hand out economic favors to businesses in order to gain economic advantage over another state. … more
There'd Be No Thankgiving Without the Profit Motive
The settlers at Plymouth colony who started the Thanksgiving tradition nearly wiped themselves out early on when they set up a communal, socialistic economy. … more
The Rothbardian Critique of Consumer Sovereignty
Many modern Austrian economists reject Mises's term "consumer sovereignty" because it conveys a misleading political idea about the market economy, explains Adjunct Scholar Robert Murphy. … more
Consumer Sovereignty: What Mises Meant
Adjunct Scholar Robert Murphy explains economist Ludwig von Mises's assertion that the true bosses in capitalism are consumers, despite the superficial power enjoyed by owners of land and businesses. … more
Want to Monitor Your State Government? Now It's Easy
A new, free web site, MichiganVotes.org, allows citizens to find out not just what lawmakers hope a bill will accomplish, but precisely how that bill will change the law. … more
Government Cancels Christmas; Civil Society Restores It
A government decision to save money on Christmas decorations offers an object lesson in how civil society can solve problems. … more
Ann Arbor Measure Walls Out the Unwashed
The main effect of a "greenbelt" measure just approved by voters in Ann Arbor will likely be to push development even farther out into the countryside. … more
Dumping Retirees
The prescription drug benefit Congress wants to add to Medicare will encourage big companies like Ford and GM to dump their retirees into the government plan. … more
The Fallacy of State Economic "Unilateral Disarmament"
It's not "unilateral disarmament" for states to treat all businesses fairly and equally. … more
Northern Michigan Hospital Nurses' Vote Puts Hospital, Teamsters in Legal Limbo
A disputed vote tally over whether NMH nurses would be represented by the Teamsters means it could be years before the issue is resolved. … more
The Time Is Right for a Right-To-Work Law
Michigan's persistent downward employment prospects call for bold new measures. A right-to-work law would be a good place to start. … more
Petoskey Nurses Vote Today
Vote highlights Teamsters' struggles at Northern Michigan Hospital. … more
Taxpayers Fund Lobbying for Internet Access Tax
A group representing Michigan and other states, paid by your state tax dollars, is lobbying the government in favor of taxing your access to the Internet.
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Veterans' Homes: Privatization Could Mean Lower Costs, Better Service
Veterans could receive better care and taxpayers could save millions by contracting out management of state veterans' homes.
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Measure Land Preservation Program by Its Results, Not Its Goals
Executive Vice President Joseph Lehman cites Mackinac Center research showing that Michigan's land preservation program has been a failure. … more
How to Fix the Telecom Mess? Part III
Director of Science, Environment and Technology Policy Diane Katz debates columnist Duane D. Freese in National Review Online. … more
How to Fix the Telecom Mess? Part II
Director of Science, Environment and Technology Policy Diane Katz debates columnist Duane D. Freese in National Review Online. … more
How to Fix the Telecom Mess? Part I
Director of Science, Environment and Technology Policy Diane Katz debates columnist Duane D. Freese in National Review Online. … more
The Pros and Cons of Zero-Based Budgeting
Testimony by Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy, before the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. … more
MESSA: Keeping School Districts from Saving Money on Health Care
If Michigan school districts were free to shop around for health care plans, they could save as much as 20 percent of their budgets. … more
Mackinac Center Dedicates Joseph P. Overton Library
Our 13th biannual Leadership Conference was the venue for dedicating the Center's library to the memory of Senior Vice President Joseph P. Overton, who passed away last June. … more
Reinventing Education in Pennsylvania
Mackinac Center Senior Fellow in Education Policy Andrew J. Coulson shows how a free market in education can transform Pennsylvania's education system. … more
How the State Government Can Consolidate Human Resources
Testimony of Mackinac Center Director of Fiscal Policy Michael LaFaive before the House Employment Relations, Training and Safety Committee, Oct. 22, 2003. … more
How the State Government Can Consolidate Human Resources
Testimony of Mackinac Center Director of Fiscal Policy Michael LaFaive before the House Employment Relations, Training and Safety Committee, Oct. 22, 2003. … more
Remembering Grenada, Two Decades Later
Twenty years ago, President Ronald Reagan gave the order for U.S. forces to invade Grenada. It was the first salvo in Reagan's successful quest to bring down the Evil Empire. … more
Paying for Organs Would Save Lives
This Boston Globe column by Jeff Jacoby cites two Mackinac Center scholars in arguing for stronger incentives to ease the organ shortage. … more
Why the States Are Broke
John Hood, president of North Carolina's John Locke Foundation, cites Mackinac Center research in showing why states are in financial trouble, and how they can get out of it. … more
Let Automakers Increase Fuel Efficiency
Congress should stop arbitrarily mandating levels of fuel efficiency for automobiles and let automakers work at the (increasingly brisk) pace of technological innovation. … more
The Top Ten Things People Believe About Canadian Health Care, But Shouldn't
Speech delivered by Brian Lee Crowley before the Mackinac Center's Issues and Ideas Luncheon in Lansing Oct. 9, 2003 … more
Great Things In Mind For Michigan
John Coonradt explains what the Mackinac Center is about, in an article published in The Diamond Line, the quarterly newsletter for employees, retirees and directors of Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company. … more
Why Michigan Should Shelve its "Economic Development" Programs
Mackinac Center Director of Fiscal Policy Michael LaFaive was invited to testify before a joint committee of the Michigan Senate. … more
Privatizing State Fairs Could Gain State $60 Million
Another money-losing year for fairs coupled with huge state deficits strongly suggests a change is needed. … more
More Disclosure of Union Finances Is Coming
Unions will have to show how they spend their members' dues on lobbying, politics, charities, staff perks, and organizing. … more
Delaying State Income Tax Cut Will Cost Nearly 3,000 Jobs
An econometric model predicts the loss of nearly 3,000 new jobs if lawmakers prevent the scheduled state income tax cut. … more
How Overregulation Kills Cool, Hip Cities
Maybe government can't do 'cool.' … more
Close the Teacher Strike Loophole
The recent Detroit teachers' walkout shut down schools in subversion of the state's law prohibiting teacher strikes. … more
The Candy Police
What level of government should determine the proper use of candy in the classroom? … more
Detroit School Establishment Turns Down $200 Million Gift
One of the nation's worst urban school districts would rather perpetuate failure than accept competition from charter schools. … more
French Fried by the Welfare State
How could nearly 15,000 elderly French die in the summer heat, in a country whose welfare state cares for people from cradle to grave? … more
S&P School Web Site Provides a Wealth of Data
One reason state education officials want to shut down a new web site could be because parents can use it to compare schools in ways that really matter. … more
Hearings Should Focus on Reforming Economic Development Policy, Mackinac Center Says
The Legislature should disband its economic development agencies, the MEDC and MEGA, and focus on lower taxes, reforming regulation, protecting contracts and property and nurturing a free labor market. … more
Destruction Is No Blessing
Some people are under the nonsensical impression that natural disasters provide a beneficial economic stimulus. … more
What's the Deal with Oil Prices?
There are a host of reasons for the latest spike in oil prices--none of which has anything to do with oil company greed or price gouging. … more
Air Travel: A Hundred Years of Safety
The breathtaking safety success of the U.S. aviation industry has been a steady upward curve, unaffected by regulation or deregulation. … more
Mackinac Center Calls State Report on NMH Strike "Deeply Flawed and Inflammatory"
A report by a panel appointed by Gov. Granholm on the nurses' strike at Northern Michigan Hospital claims the hospital leadership is at fault without saying how or why. … more
Signs of Wisdom at UAW
New labor agreements between the UAW and the Big Three automakers may indicate newfound wisdom on the part of union leaders. … more
K-12 Education Funding Hinges On Appeal Now before Supreme Court
A presentation by the Mackinac Center's Brian Carpenter is featured in an article for MyBayCity.com … more
Michigan High Schoolers To Hone Debate Skills at Mackinac Center Workshop
Next week, more than 550 students from 35 Michigan high schools will attend the Mackinac Center for Public Policy's 16th annual High School Debate Workshops. … more
A Victory for the Gas-Powered Engine
Good news for people who want transportation that is powerful, affordable, and clean. … more
Inaugural Presentation of the Overton Award
Lynn Harsh of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation is the first recipient of the award named in honor of the Mackinac Center's senior vice president, who died tragically on June 30. … more
Bay County Taxpayers Paying Extra for "Union Only" Deal
Bay County has effectively barred non-union contracting firms from bidding on its library construction project. … more
The Ultimate Rationale for School Choice
Brian Carpenter's remarks before the Traverse City Rotary Club, Sept. 2, 2003 … more
Anti-Sprawl Report Flawed
Diane Katz's remarks before the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. … more
New 'Tool Tax' Audits Could Drive Jobs Out of Michigan
Just when manufacturers need every reason to create jobs in Michigan, along comes an army of auditors looking for untaxed tools. … more
FCC Order Will Fail to Open the Telecom Market
The agency would still require local phone companies to subsidize their competitors. … more
School District Saves Teachers' Jobs by Privatizing
When Clare school officials had to choose between teacher layoffs and seeking better bids for food service and health insurance, they chose to keep teachers on the payroll. … more
The Best Way to Empower Workers
A right-to-work law would be the ultimate economic development program, and it would respect workers' individual dignity in choosing whether to support a union. … more
Starting school after Labor Day; Schools limit enrollment to cut costs; Schools use choice programs.
With Friends Like This, We're Winning
An institute supporter explains why the Mackinac Center is appreciated, and needed. … more
Budget Balancing Endgame
If Gov. Granholm and state employee unions can't agree how to cut costs, government itself will get another black eye. … more
Agenda and Facts Collide in Land-Use Report
Official report recommends a host of government expansions without mentioning any possible drawbacks. … more
Binding Arbitration Is Ripe for Reform
Local arbitration boards could end the delays and costliness that characterize negotiations for local police and firefighters. … more
Should Intermediate School District Officials Be Elected in Secret?
Executive Vice President Joseph Lehman answers questions for the Port Huron Times Herald. … more
Eliminate Intermediate School Districts
Michigan's intermediate school districts constitute an extra layer of unneeded bureaucracy rife with abuse, and should be abolished. … more
Eliminate Intermediate School Districts
Michigan's intermediate school districts constitute an extra layer of unneeded bureaucracy rife with abuse, and should be abolished. … more
A Hard Pill for UAW Members to Swallow
For the U.S. auto industry to remain competitive, the UAW must prepare workers for a competitive labor market. … more
Land Use Council Prescribes Social Engineering
It's a thankless task indeed to make a case for more stringent government land-use control. … more
Don't Blame Deregulation for the Blackout
The blackout was primarily the result of failures at the transmission level — where almost no deregulation has occurred. … more
Are Teachers Paid Enough?
Mackinac Center Scholar Prof. Richard Vedder analyzes teacher pay and working conditions. … more
Re-Hyping the Head Start Program
If no one explains why a popular program has failed for 38 years, a real opportunity to improve education will be lost. … more
Charter Schools Don't Need More State Oversight
Charter schools face the ultimate accountability already: parents who are free to send their children elsewhere. … more
Reverse Robin Hoods at the University of Michigan
U of M gives students of richer families what amounts to a tax-free tuition subsidy at the expense of poorer ones. … more
Lawrence W. Reed Named Advisor to LifeSharers
Mackinac Center President to Assist Effort to Save Lives Lost to Organ Shortage. … more
Michigan's Largest Land Preservation Program Is a Failure
New Mackinac Center study says most money goes to land least likely to be developed. … more
Michigan's State Budget: Where It Stands Today
Michael LaFaive's remarks before the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce. … more
