Pocket Facts

Reinvigorating Federalism and Fiscal Discipline in Texas: Establishing the Office of State Sovereignty

Texas governments received $84.3 billion in federal funding in 2023, raising concerns over financial dependency and regulatory consequences. Creating an Office of State Sovereignty to monitor the application, receipt, and conditions of this aid could mitigate fiscal risk and improve transparency. Key points: Texas lacks a centralized system to oversee federal grants potentially flowing to...

The simple reform Congress can make to move millions from welfare to work

Congress has a chance to help millions of Americans move from welfare to work while fixing one of the country’s most broken federal programs. Lawmakers are preparing to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which controls the vast and failed federal workforce-development system. Instead of doubling down on the longstanding approach of wasting money...

Empowerment Accounts: 21st Century Safety-Net Reform

Frankie Johnson, a college-educated single mother from Washington, D.C., moved to Atlanta to distance herself and daughter from an abusive husband. Without a job or place to live, she sought government assistance for childcare and transitional housing. While she waited for this assistance, she was offered a job paying $70,000. She turned it down. Why?...