Reports
Restoring accountability in Wisconsin government
Executive summary Citizens say they want accountable and transparent government, and politicians say they agree. Yet Wisconsin’s state government frequently falls short of delivering it. This chapter, based on research and…
Building on the Wisconsin higher-ed reform model
Executive summary Across the United States, there is growing concern about the performance of higher education institutions. Students are studying less, grade inflation has weakened the value of transcripts as signals of…
Building on the Wisconsin higher-ed reform model
Executive summary Across the United States, there is growing concern about the performance of higher education institutions. Students are studying less, grade inflation has weakened the value of transcripts as signals of…
New York’s School Districts Plan To Spend Over $37K Per Student
Cover Image Credit: CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia School districts presenting budgets to voters on Tuesday, May 19, plan to spend an average of $37,033 per student, up 4.9 percent from the current school year,…
How Pension ‘Spiking’ Drives Up Costs for New York Taxpayers
Each year, hundreds of newly retired government workers across New York garner a benefit that would be unheard-of in the private sector: pensions that exceed the salaries they received while still on the job. This is possible…
The Wisconsin experiment in economic freedom
Evidence from border counties indicates increased economic freedom encourages prosperity Executive summary Starting in the early 2010s, Wisconsin undertook market-oriented policy reforms that substantially enhanced economic…
How to keep good teachers in the classroom
Last of a Badger Institute series about teacher loss in Wisconsin schools and what policy makers and administrators can do about it. Teachers who have fled a school or the profession altogether — and there are many of them in…
Report: “A Review of Metro’s Regional Passenger Rail Futures Study”
By Randal O’Toole March 2026 Executive Summary In 2024, the Oregon legislature Senate Bill 4701 (Section 503) directed Metro to study the Portland area’s 200 miles of freight rail corridors as potential regional passenger or…
In talent squeeze, independent schools respond — and seek relief
Drawn by mission, kept by coaching Part of an ongoing Badger Institute series about teacher loss in Wisconsin schools and what policy makers and administrators can do about it. Facing an increasingly difficult market for…
Teachers in flight – Badger Institute
What’s really driving educators out of Wisconsin’s classrooms Wisconsin’s public school teachers are leaving their classrooms at higher rates than they have in more than 25 years — some to other school districts, some out of…
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