Our country relies on free and fair elections, participation of the electorate, and the knowledge that office seekers will have to earn our vote every election cycle. But unlike presidential…
Let’s talk turkey! Golden Turkey, that is. In what turned out to be a two-project race, the new state flag and seal defeated Gov. Tim Walz’s DEI staff to win…
On Oct. 21, 2024, pro-Palestinian student protestors took over Morrill Hall, the University of Minnesota’s administration building. The students covered security cameras with spray paint, smashed windows, and secured doors…
As Minnesota extends its nation-leading streak of voting for the Democratic presidential nominee to 52 years, political and cultural observers would be remiss to ignore a shifting undercurrent that gave…
‘‘It’s hard to argue with the data” is one of the most overused phrases wreaking havoc on honest debates — especially regarding crime. Politicians, academics, and pundits use crime data…
In 2018, Center of the American Experiment released a report evaluating how environmentally responsible mining would boost Minnesota’s economy. With the help of economist John Phelan and Debra Struhsacker, a…
We’ve got mail! Family legacy In the Fall 2024 issue, I was elated that John Phelan wrote an article about the 2nd Minnesota. My Norwegian immigrant great-great grandfather Even, his…
St. Paul has no money for childcare. A ballot measure creating a childcare subsidy program for all low-income children in St. Paul failed to pass in the 2024 election, preventing…
Lowertown’s descent is a policy choice. Shortly after moving to Minnesota in 2017, my wife and I went to a St. Paul Saints game. Arriving early, we went for a…
The interest following last issue’s Thinking Minnesota Poll covering Minnesota’s election laws was the impetus for American Experiment’s four-city event tour, “Rigged or Fair? Election integrity issues in 2024.” The…
American Experiment lost a good friend in October with the passing of former State Rep. Ken Wolf. Ken represented the Dakota County suburbs in the Minnesota House from 1993 to…
What do public school teachers think of school choice? An October survey of educators has found that the majority of public school teachers support education savings accounts (ESAs), a school…
Don’t dismantle our democracy. The colonists issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, because, they argued, the British government had infringed “certain unalienable Rights.” After some turbulent years…
Christopher Rufo’s winning strategy. “I like to go out and win. I think that ultimately if you’re playing politics and you’re not winning, you’re actually not really playing politics. You’re…
What a second Trump term could mean for the U.S. economy. In his victory speech on Nov. 6, 2024, Pres.-elect Donald Trump strongly declared, “I will not rest until we…
Owatonna High School’s new paths to career success. The “Great Reshuffle” in the labor force will almost certainly be one of the biggest consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to…
Hennepin County caught illegally staffing ballot board. Just weeks before the 2024 election, Hennepin County was exposed by the Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA) and the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC)…
Minnesotans deserve better than what they have offered. Trust, accountability, and common sense are three foundational characteristics of a society that are also good measures of that society’s health and…
Another Minnesota city takes the government’s fiber-optic bait. “This time, it’ll be different!” This should be the tagline for Connect Willmar, the latest local government-funded fiber-optic internet project in…
Economic issues are driving a new coalition of Minnesota voters. For some years, Republicans have been talking about forming a multi-ethnic working-class and middle-class coalition that would be an electoral…