New figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis show that, in the second quarter of 2017, Minnesota performed poorly on wages, well on dividends, slightly worse than average on transfer…
My American Experiment colleague Catrin Thorman was on-target when she concluded her recent blog about a three-part series in the Star Tribune regarding public school choice in the Twin Cities. …
The number of wolves in Minnesota soared last year, confirming the predator’s comeback as one of the Endangered Species List’s success stories. The wolf population leaped forward 25 percent thanks…
We often hear that there is a labor shortage in Minnesota which we need immigrants to solve. But we can make a start by helping teenage and black Minnesotans into…
We have written here, here and here about the extraordinary extent to which the Edina public schools have prioritized left-wing indoctrination over academic excellence. On Monday, the Center will release…
Conventional wisdom has it that young people starting out in life need a four-year college degree to succeed. But a new Center of the American Experiment study (download here) concludes…
My wife Diane and I have just moved, after 25 years, from Minneapolis to Eden Prairie. Early on I needed to hire a painter to do a modest amount of…
How much of an issue will public safety be in the upcoming Minneapolis mayoral election? The Star Tribune raised the stakes with an editorial a week ago headlined “Downtown’s dilemma:…
Rising wages are a good thing when, like Target's, they come from market forces and the competition between firms for labor.
Look on the bright side Minneapolis: the wall could be passed off as an expansion of the nearby Walker Art Museum’s Sculpture Garden. Think of the wall as a giant…
Public sector employers will be a prime target as activists seek to spread Minneapolis' job killing $15 minimum wage. That's because, unlike private sector employers, they have no bottom line…
Despite education spending increases year after year, Minnesota remains home to one of the largest academic achievement gaps in the country. Not all students are getting the education they need…
It used to be students who got in trouble for skipping school. But a new national report card out this week gives teachers at traditional public schools an F for…
Minnesota has been violating the First Commandment of a defined pension benefit plan for years: you must put aside enough money each year to cover the benefit promised. And if…
Compared to their neighbors and peers, Minnesota's urban areas are performing indifferently on economic growth.
To my knowledge, this story has gotten no local attention. But it ought to be of concern to all Minnesotans, especially given that it involves the flagship Minneapolis campus of…
Having damaged the low wage labor market in Minneapolis, $15 activists now have to pursue employers and jobs into neighboring areas, starting with St Paul. But the economics remain the…
Productivity drives earnings. Arguments that it doesn't are based on the selection of poor variables, incomplete data, and misleading measures of inflation.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. But are the Vikings desperate enough just two games into the season to sign controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick? Sports writer Jim Souhan went long…
When the Governor talks about attracting a new Amazon distribution center to Minnesota, does he tout our great bike paths? Er, bike roads?
It’s not your imagination. It’s not your fault. There’s a deliberate campaign by city, county and state transportation planners to get more cars off our freeways and streets. See “Twin…
Minnesota's rate of job growth has been ahead of the national average over the last year. But those new jobs have been concentrated in less productive sectors of the economy.
Center of the American Experiment may or may not have had anything to do with it, but I choose to view a story in the Star Tribune on Sunday (September…
Is Roseville the Twin Cities first sanctuary suburb? That was the goal behind a months long behind-the-scenes campaign by liberal activists to pressure Roseville City Council members into taking action.…