As states across the country expand educational freedom through policies such as Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation, some in the homeschool community have raised concerns and are actively opposing ESA…
There is an agreement in St. Paul that the state budget is out of control. Gov. Walz and both chambers of the legislature have proposed lower spending in the next…
On a cold, rainy morning, a third guilty plea was entered into the juror bribery case arising out of the first Feeding Our Future trial. Your correspondent was there at…
In American Experiment’s 2021 report, “The State of Minnesota’s Economy: 2020 — A focus on economic growth,” we wrote: What matters for economic welfare is per capita income. This is…
Support Thinking Minnesota to support a freer, more prosperous future. In June 2015, we celebrated 25 years at Center of the American Experiment by publishing the first issue of Thinking…
Do you know where your tax dollars are? It’s a sorry state of affairs when Minnesota — long the gold standard of forthright Midwest values and decency — is now…
It’s difficult to get a handle on the scope of the federal budget cuts coming down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But the cancellation of billions of dollars…
You may have heard Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz say recently that he wishes there was a “shadow government.” Grace and Kathryn react on the latest episode of the American Experiment…
Here we go again! Another venue reneged on their agreement to host an event for Center of the American Experiment at the last minute after being bullied by local activists.…
The message sent For years, several progressive-led cities, counties, and campuses in Minnesota have had “sanctuary” policies that have prohibited sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent ICE activity…
Last week, I wrote about how the growth rate of per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be broken down into the share that comes from growth in human capital,…
The state Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) is on the brink of approving two massive new electric transmission line projects. Next week (April 10) the Commission will meet to take up…
Thank oil and gas for concrete, fertilizers, and plastics. The New York Post’s Dec. 9, 2024 article contained exclusive polling taken in November of that year showing that most Americans…
Affordable housing and the tyranny of local government. The separation of powers between the federal and state governments not only serves as an important check to federal encroachment on individual…
The complicated electoral method was thoroughly rejected in November. On Nov. 5, 2024, Donald Trump won his second presidential term. But that day was important for another reason: Ranked choice…
A new film tells the story of America’s miraculous founding and the civic responsibility we all carry. “A republic, if you can keep it.” Benjamin Franklin spoke those words in…
No three-eyed fish here! Homer Simpson, patriarch of the Simpson family and the eponymous, long-running animated sitcom “The Simpsons,” is the ineffective safety inspector in Sector 7G of Springfield’s nuclear…
Do NatCons have the answer to a 21st-century American government? Since the 1970s, America’s political right movement has been a coalition of libertarians and conservatives, both of whom felt that…
A St. Paul foundry fought the environmental bureaucracy — and won. For more than a century, Northern Iron & Machine foundry has been a fixture in St. Paul’s traditionally blue-collar…
Judging by their actions, ‘tolerant’ is false advertising. The Minnesota House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, to kick off the 2025 legislative…
American Experiment Update: Center events, initiatives, and policy work. Staff updates Peter Nelson, senior policy fellow at Center of the American Experiment, has been named by Pres. Donald Trump to…
Legislation introduced in both the Minnesota House and Senate would bring flexibility and innovation to students’ K-12 education journeys. Under H.F. 19 and S.F. 244, Minnesota would establish an education…
Digging for the roots of the rich/poor divide. In October 2024, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel…
Shortly before Election Day last November, Gallup reported that “The economy ranks as the most important of 22 issues that U.S. registered voters say will influence their choice for president.” Crucially, given…