More than half of California voters have thought about moving out of state, according to a new poll from the Institute of Governmental Studies at U.C. Berkeley. A full 74 percent of the state’s very conservative voters say they’re looking into moving, and 84 percent of those cite California’s political culture as their rationale for leaving. Unsurprisingly,...
“Founded in 1989 with the spirit forged in 1836”—that’s what the cornerstone at the Texas Public Policy Foundation says. Of course, 1836 is the year Texas won its independence from Mexico and became a Republic; the year Texas became Texas. What many don’t know, but should, is the spirit of Texas predates the Alamo and...
A U.S. district judge today dismissed a lawsuit brought by Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York against the big tax cut signed into law by President Trump in December 2017. Judge J. Paul Oetken has been a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York since President Obama appointed him in 2011. The case, State...
Should we trust studies published in academic journals? A few decades ago, virtually all of us would have responded in the affirmative. But that was then. Now, too many academic studies have been shown to be substantially defective. The nonpartisan National Association of Scholars (NAS) has been documenting the “reproducibility crisis” that “afflicts a wide range of...
Should we trust studies published in academic journals? A few decades ago, virtually all of us would have responded in the affirmative. But that was then. Now, too many academic studies have been shown to be substantially defective. The nonpartisan National Association of Scholars (NAS) has been documenting the “reproducibility crisis” that “afflicts a wide range of...
Progressive politicians on the Austin City Council have spoiled the housing market, made a mess of homelessness and turned commuting into a nightmare. Now the group has fixed its gaze on something else: climate change. Spurred on by environmental activists, council members recently adopted an angst-filled resolution declaring a “climate emergency” and calling for immediate action to...
Hope you have an extra $12,000 in your checking account. That’s how much the Green New Deal could increase the average Texas households’ annual electricity bills, according to new research unveiled by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). An in-depth analysis of Texas electric utility data shows that transitioning Texas to 100% wind and solar electricity...
The road to prison can start on the front end or the back end of the criminal justice process. The front end is what we generally think of — a person is charged with a crime, that person is convicted and sentenced to prison. The back-end deals with those sent to prison for failing on...
It is preposterous to me that many of my peers are so afraid of climate change that they say they can hardly think about it. I think what they should really be afraid of is government overreach caused by such exaggeration over the effects of climate change. Back in the 1960s, some scientists believed that...
Demographics is political destiny. Or, at least that’s what they want you to believe. The fact is that in politics, just as in events that are eventually chronicled as a nation’s history, nothing is certain; individuals have a role to play as do other, larger factors, such as the economy and international affairs. One reason...
A new cottage industry has sprung up among political punditry. In dozens of articles, analysis pieces and opinion columns, the new conventional wisdom is that urbanization, an influx of blue staters attracted to jobs and a low cost of living, along with international immigration are combining to inexorably turn Texas blue. The blue Texas theme...
World leaders and activists will gather this week in New York City for the United Nations Climate Action Summit. President Trump will not be attending — for good reason. The modern climate movement has proved itself not only dishonest, but also increasingly ineffective where it supposedly matters: Reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Exhibit A is the...