Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took unprecedented actions in response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state banned certain businesses from operating and even required the entire population of Michigan to stay in their homes under penalty of law. The constitutionality of these actions was questionable, and some were struck down by the Michigan Supreme Court. Now that the pandemic emergency has ended, it is time to assess the state of Michigan’s emergency actions both in terms of their effectiveness and their propriety.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy announces our 2021 Planning for Life Workshops around Michigan.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy announces our 2021 Planning for Life Workshops around Michigan.

Assessing whether unprecedented lockdown policies were worth the costs is complicated, but two economists from Michigan universities will explain how to approach the problem and present their own research findings on the effectiveness of lockdowns.

The unreliability of renewable energy like wind and solar contributed to the problem that led to the Texas blackouts this past winter. What lessons could Michigan learn to prevent a similar problem here?

Socialists on the left and populists on the right increasingly blame the free market for a host of issues: poverty, middle-class stagnation, income inequality and more. Further regulating the market is often the proposed solution, but sometimes its government rules themselves that stifle innovation and block people from moving up the economic ladder.

Do you need a college degree to be successful? Why does college cost so much? How do we ensure higher education is flexible and affordable? Come hear a nuanced discussion about college costs and what states and the federal government should do about it. Join us at 11 am EST. Opening remarks will be made by Joseph Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center. Featured panelists will be Jason Delisle, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Jeremy Horpedahl, assistant professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas, and Jarrett Skorup, director of marketing and communications at the Mackinac Center.

State mandates put in place to temporarily limit the spread of COVID-19 created widespread, ongoing economic ramifications. Economists and others are working to estimate the full costs of these actions, but the task is difficult considering how unprecedented and broad these state mandates have been. This virtual event will discuss sound economic theory and practical suggestions for initiating research, locating data and producing good, original scholarship. Join us at 6:00 pm EST. Sponsored by the Charles M. Bauervic Foundation, and presented in conjunction with Northwood University, our presenters will be Michael LaFaive, senior director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative at the Mackinac Center, and Northwood University department chair Dale Matcheck. This event will be moderated by John Gustincic, director of the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise.

The need for greater flexibility in the state's K-12 education system has been underscored by recent experiences with pandemic restrictions and remote learning. The Mackinac Center proposes a new Flex Learning model that would bring about needed changes. Join this virtual event at 11:00 am EST as our featured speakers discuss an educational plan that would give students and families across Michigan the ability to craft combinations of virtual and in-person learning opportunities, as well as choose dual-enrollment courses and career apprenticeships. Our presenters will include Ben DeGrow, the Mackinac Center’s director of education policy, Phil Janis, principal of the Morey FlexTech High School in Shepherd, Mich., and two experts from ExcelinEd – a leading national education reform organization – director of educational opportunity Cara Candal and Midwest regional advocacy director Zach Eckert. Joseph Lehman, president of the Mackinac Center, will provide opening remarks.

This virtual event will assess and discuss Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s unprecedented actions in response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us at 6:00 pm EST. Sponsored by the Charles M. Bauervic Foundation, and presented in conjunction with Northwood University, this panel of three experts will cover the legal questions, as well as the economic consequences for entrepreneurs and the broader economy. Moderated by John Gustincic, director of the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise, our featured panelists will be Northwood University department chairs James Hop and Dale Matcheck, as well as Mackinac Center for Public Policy’s director of research, Michael Van Beek.