Thinking Minnesota Spring 2026

The English origins of the American Revolution.

School choice continues a 250-year tradition of American education.

American law enforcement: 400 years of evolution and order.

Have we squandered one of our greatest treasures?

Red vs. blue states and the future of the American Dream.

After 250 years of nationhood, do Minnesotans believe it’s a country worth celebrating?

State of the state Unfortunately, our current Minneapolis and statewide dunderheads are incapable of acting responsibly and wisely for the citizens. Pres. Joe Biden’s open borders allowed some 17 million…

The new paid family and medical leave policy could drown school districts in paperwork As school districts across Minnesota continue to grapple with the logistical and financial challenges of the…

Minnesota’s ‘trans sanctuary’ law puts funding and children’s health at risk Minnesota’s self-proclaimed role as a “trans refuge” or sanctuary state for pediatric sex-rejecting treatments — enshrined in 2023 law…

Mission creep of the administrative state When most people think of the ways government affects or controls them, taxes may be the first thing that comes to mind. We all…

Center events, initiatives, and policy work Initiative The $7k for Kids campaign enjoyed a big night at precinct caucuses as over 1,000 precincts debated and passed a resolution adding Education…

Economic freedom and its (conservative) discontents Did the Industrial Revolution impoverish workers? Was Progressive-era regulation necessary to tame the extremes of capitalism? Was the Great Depression a failure of capitalism?…

Behind the fraud deeply embedded in state welfare agencies The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released a shocking report that examines mostly ignored controls over taxpayer money handed…

Operation Metro Surge has exposed a dangerous breakdown in coordination among law enforcement agencies A group of local law enforcement leaders gathered at the State Capitol for a press conference…

When teachers’ unions turn schools into political stages Classrooms should be places where students are not pressured or guided to support one side of current political disputes, but teachers’ unions…

How fraud distorts budget decisions There is no doubt that Minnesota has a fraud problem, which is disturbing in itself. However, in the backdrop of a persistent and widening structural…

School discipline’s influence on academic outcomes In the unfolding story of American education recovery, one striking narrative has emerged: Several southern states have climbed the national rankings in academic performance…

What Minnesotans think about Operation Metro Surge Democrats in St. Paul are attempting to make the 2026 session about Operation Metro Surge and ICE. The numbers from our recent Thinking…

The endless scandals plaguing the state demand change Minnesota’s fraud scandal is so massive and complicated that it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. I previously wrote…

Midwest identity suffers from a dearth of education about its history and heritage Regionality has been a hallmark of American culture — as varied and textured as the people who…

Leading the fight on the multimedia, policy, and social media battlefield In recent months, Minnesota has dominated the national news as rarely before, and American Experiment has been in the…