For the past two fiscal cycles, states have grappled with unprecedentedly large budget gaps. By the simple arithmetic of fiscal policy, these gaps can be closed with budget cuts or revenue increases. An important question for the policy maker is: Which of these two courses of action is likely to...

In the United States, once people have been convicted of a crime—or, in many cases, even arrested for a crime—those people are marked for life in a way that allows states to deny them the right to earn a living in the profession of their choosing. In this short brief, we discuss the US...

The nation is on a mission to “flatten the curve.” The goal is not so much to reduce the total number of COVID-19 infections — though that would be ideal — but to reduce the number of infections at any one time, so as to ensure that the nation’s healthcare resources are not...

As the COVID-19 crisis intensified, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels started suspending or rescinding laws and regulations that hindered sensible, speedy responses to the pandemic. These “rule departures” raised many questions. Were the paused rules undermining public...

Certificate-of-need (CON) laws in healthcare are currently found in 36 states and the District of Columbia. These laws require those aspiring to offer certain medical services, acquire certain devices, or open or expand particular medical facilities to first obtain authorization from a...

A lame duck session of Congress occurs when legislators meet after an election has been held but before the next Congress has taken office. Lame duck sessions are often criticized by the victorious party in the election, and a common critique is that the lame duck members — undisciplined by...

New technology can cause significant changes in an industry, potentially improving both consumer welfare and governance. The initial reaction of many regulators to the advent of “ridesharing” platforms such as Uber and Lyft was either to outlaw them or to burden them with the same level of...

In recent years, a raft of studies has examined the effect of various institutions on state fiscal outcomes, especially per capita spending. A review of the literature reveals that one institution has an especially large effect on government spending: states with separate legislative committees...