Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ban on agricultural imports from countries that have sanctioned Russia over its aggression against Ukraine. While the ban made headlines, most commenters viewed it as a largely symbolic action, which would do little to help Russia’s strategic position internationally. But within days, news reports surfaced of another...
A commonly heard solution to failing schools is to increase state spending on education. However, the state has doubled per pupil education spending in inflation-adjusted terms since 1970 without much change in educational outcomes.
This commentary originally appeared in Investor's Business Daily on September 26, 2014. It's been said that every time there's an earthquake, that's just Henry Ford turning in his grave as his heirs misspend more of his fortune. But nothing the Ford Foundation has done to undermine the free enterprise system that makes such wealth possible in the...
This commentary originally appeared in the Austin American-Statesman on September 23, 2014. According to the Texas Education Agency, Austin public school teachers earn $46,924 on average. That is less than many other professionals, and in the opinion of many they should make a lot more. Wouldn’t it be great if teachers could earn another $12,000 per year?...
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Local Innovator is a podcast designed to bring innovative ideas to local leaders, whether they be elected officials, staff members, or interested community members. In this inaugural episode of Local Innovator, we explore the purpose of involvement in local policy by challenging those involved to ask the tough questions about policy proposals and proposed expenditures. We run down the top 10 questions you can ask of local government proposals, giving you the tools you need to make sure your policy ideas are ready for showtime! Come join us for the first episode of Local Innovator, featuring TPPF's Center for Local Governance scholar Jess Fields.
This commentary originally appeared in Forbes, on September 23, 2014. If, as Whitehead observed, all European philosophy is “a series of footnotes to Plato,” all contemporary critiques of higher education are addenda to Allan Bloom’s 1987 blockbuster, The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students. Scoring big with the...