Published on June 4, 2010
Published on April 29, 2010 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Published on April 13, 2010 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on April 12, 2010
Michigan is blessed with a wealth of the human and natural resources integral to building vibrant commerce and vigorous communities in the 21st century. At the moment, however, counter-productive public policies have made it harder for our industries to compete nationally and internationally and have reduced our state's attractiveness to investors and entrepreneurs.
In addition, Michigan is not immune to the gradual erosion of equity and basic human freedom that accompanies a steady growth in the power and scope of government.
Related to this, our government's ability to properly perform many critical functions, including education, has been jeopardized by policymakers' attempts to do too many things. This lack of focus has even led to confusion among policymakers over whether government exists to serve the people or vice versa.
There's a lot of work to do to reverse this, but there's good news. Once growth- and freedom-friendly policies are in place, recovery is likely to occur much more quickly than most people imagine.
For policymakers and voters serious about restoring freedom and economic vitality in the Great Lakes State, the Mackinac Center presents the following 101 recommendations.
This report is a compendium of work authored by Mackinac Center policy analysts and compiled by Senior Legislative Analyst Jack McHugh.
"101 Recommendations" Facebook Group … more
Published on April 8, 2010 – Study
Published on April 6, 2010 – Impact
Published on March 19, 2010
Published on Feb. 12, 2010
Published on Feb. 9, 2010
Published on Jan. 28, 2010 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
A book review of Paul A. Cleveland's "Unmasking the Sacred Lies."
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Posted on January 12, 2010 at 12:00am
Published on Jan. 1, 2010
Published on Dec. 10, 2009
Published on Dec. 7, 2009 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on Dec. 4, 2009 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Friday on his Fox television show, Glenn Beck described public policy changes along a spectrum from right to left, dubbing the range of current policies “the Overton Window.” He borrowed the term my colleagues and I gave to a theory of change developed by the Mackinac Center’s late vice president, Joseph Overton.
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Posted on November 23, 2009 at 9:37am
Published on Nov. 16, 2009
Published on Nov. 3, 2009
A review and analysis of important state legislative policy issues that do not always receive attention from the general media. Michigan Capitol Confidential will make it easier to keep tabs on your elected representatives in Lansing.
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Published on Oct. 27, 2009 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Published on Oct. 16, 2009
Published on Oct. 5, 2009 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on Sept. 25, 2009
Confidence in government breeds complacency in politics. When people think government is handling things tolerably well, they see no reason to pay much attention to politics. When confidence sinks from low to lower, grass-roots political energy spikes upward. That’s why people are now leaping off the sidelines and into TEA parties and raucous town hall meetings to protest sky-high taxes, exploding deficits and the government’s attempt to take over health care. Smart politicians can seize this opportunity by exercising an oft-neglected part of the political anatomy: the spine.
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Posted on September 23, 2009 at 4:46pm
Published on Aug. 11, 2009
Published on July 30, 2009
Published on June 18, 2009
Published on May 13, 2009
Published on April 24, 2009
Published on April 13, 2009
Published on Dec. 19, 2008
Published on Dec. 5, 2008
Published on Nov. 14, 2008
Published on Nov. 10, 2008
Published on Oct. 17, 2008
Published on Sept. 16, 2008 – Michigan Education Report
Michigan lawmakers are unlikely to pass any of these eight ideas into law any time soon, even though a case can be made that each one would help turn around Michigan’s moribund economy. Sometimes the people have to act when legislators won’t.
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Published on Sept. 8, 2008 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on Aug. 22, 2008
Published on July 22, 2008
Published on July 8, 2008
Published on June 4, 2008
Published on March 31, 2008
Published on Nov. 6, 2007
Published on May 25, 2007
Published on Jan. 5, 2007
Published on Oct. 3, 2006
Published on April 17, 2006
Published on March 17, 2006
Published on Sept. 26, 2005
Published on Oct. 27, 2004
Published on Sept. 24, 2004
Zogby International and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy undertook a nationwide survey of union members to determine their views of their unions’ performance. We asked union members about union effectiveness, union responsibilities, union political spending, ways for workers to create a union and how unions should treat workers.
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Published on Sept. 1, 2004 – Study
Published on July 27, 2004
A set of links related to the Michigan Education Association (MEA) lawsuit against the Mackinac Center for Public Policy for quoting the union's president.
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Published on March 27, 2004 – News Release
Published on March 10, 2004
Published on Nov. 10, 2003
Published on Sept. 15, 2003
Published on Aug. 29, 2003
Published on July 17, 2003
Published on July 7, 2003
Published on June 26, 2003
Published on March 11, 2003
Mackinac Center analyst testifies that prohibition of local wage laws is “appropriate” measure
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Published on Feb. 20, 2003 – News Release
Published on Feb. 7, 2003 – News Release
Published on Feb. 6, 2003 – News Release
Published on Jan. 7, 2003 – News Release
Published on Oct. 9, 2002
Published on Oct. 7, 2002
Published on Sept. 27, 2002 – News Release
Warrantied projects require less supervision and testing than
standard projects, thereby reducing the state’s costs and giving motorists more value for their gas tax dollars.
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Published on Sept. 2, 2002 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on June 27, 2002
Support for school choice in Michigan remains strong, with a decided preference for tax credits as the way to achieve it.
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Published on June 26, 2002 – News Release
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Institute for Justice held a joint news conference in Lansing May 21 to explain the union's attempt to intimidate and stifle the Mackinac Center, and why the MEA's lawsuit will fail.
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Published on May 22, 2002
Mackinac Center for Public Policy Executive Vice President Joseph Lehman explains the damaging effects of the $190 billion federal farm bill signed into law May 13, 2002.
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Published on May 14, 2002
The MEA school union spent $200,000 to form a group to attack Mackinac Center research, but it resulted in embarrassing questions and a faulty document.
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Published on Dec. 15, 2001
The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation of Midland has awarded grants totaling $480,000 to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy to help launch a new public policy initiative and support the Center's general operations.
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Published on Dec. 12, 2001 – News Release
Published on Oct. 23, 2001
Those who seek to achieve political goals through violence always claim noble ends, but such people are merely destroyers.
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Published on Oct. 16, 2001
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy today announced that for the first time in history Michigan citizens have free, instantaneous access to accurate plain-language descriptions of how their state legislators voted on all legislative actions. The Internet-based service, MichiganVotes.org , makes it easier for key decision-makers and the public at large to be active and informed in Michigan civic affairs.
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Published on Sept. 18, 2001 – News Release
Published on Sept. 4, 2001 – News Release
Since the energy crunch of the 1970s, Congress has spent billions of dollars to promote the use of ethanol, a fuel made from corn, as an alternative to gasoline. Almost 30 years later, it is clear that ethanol mandates and subsidies have instead increased the use of gasoline. It's time for legislators to pull the plug on the wasteful and counter-productive ethanol program.
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Published on Aug. 6, 2001 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on June 17, 2001 – Non-MCPP Content
It's too soon to end Michigan's experiment with term limits because they have not been in effect long enough for any potential benefits to be realized.
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Published on June 8, 2001
Federal government safety data from other studies indicate a lower fatality rate for SUVs than for cars.
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Published on May 29, 2001 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Introduction of Mackinac Center adjunct scholar and Federal Election Commissioner Bradley Smith at the Nov. 3, 2000 Mackinac Center Scholars Summit.
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Published on April 13, 2001
Published on March 13, 2001
In 1997, former Detroit mayor and staunch privatization opponent Coleman Young surprised many when he proposed that the city contract out police car oil changes to a private firm to improve quality and save the city nearly $700,000 annually. What have been the results?
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Published on March 9, 2001 – Michigan Privatization Report
President Bush's funding for private religious charities initiative could undercut the effectiveness and compassionate missions of those charities.
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Published on March 3, 2001 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Westwood Community Schools district is bleeding students. The Mackinac Center has offered to help stanch the flow.
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Published on Dec. 1, 2000 – Michigan Privatization Report
Published on Nov. 29, 1999 – News Release
Published on Sept. 10, 1999 – News Release
Published on Sept. 6, 1999 – Free Market Moment
Published on Sept. 6, 1999 – Free Market Moment
Published on Sept. 6, 1999 – Free Market Moment
Published on Sept. 3, 1999 – News Release
Published on Sept. 2, 1999 – News Release
Published on Aug. 27, 1999 – News Release
Published on June 24, 1999 – News Release
Published on June 1, 1999 – News Release
Published on April 7, 1999 – News Release
Published on March 15, 1999 – News Release