Jacob Custer
Policy Data Analyst
Jacob Custer is the Policy Data Analyst at the Commonwealth Foundation.
Jacob graduated cum laude from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and public policy and a minor in American politics. Jacob received a master’s degree in economics from George Mason University in Virginia, where he also participated in the MA Fellowship at the Mercatus Center and worked as a graduate research assistant.
Jacob is passionate about advancing economic freedom. His work in economics explores public choice theory, the socialist calculation debate, and property rights. To connect ideas with practice, he gained experience through internships at the Leadership Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and Capitol Hill. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Jacob worked in Washington, D.C., for a U.S. senator.
Outside of work, Jacob plays pickleball, looks for new board games to play, or hits the road in search of the next adventure.
Gas extraction tax topic of next Citizens Caucus debate
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Speaker: Pension reform will improve state schools
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Is This What Democracy Looks Like?
An astounding 93 percent of union members had no role in choosing the union currently representing them, according to a new report authored by Dr. Daniel DiSalvo of the…
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Did Gov. Corbett really cut $1 billion from ed.? Let’s sort it out
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York-Hanover takes second on Time Magazine list of cities with the lowest levels of income inequality
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Rendell’s Legacy Handcuffs Schools
Former Governor Ed Rendell wrote to the Philadelphia Inquirer and took issue with our policy points on Philadelphia school trends. The Inquirer…
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Audio: Is Selling Liquor a Core Function of Government?
Is it government’s job to monopolize a service that private enterprise can easily provide? Matt Brouillette says no—and Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor monopoly is a prime example of why government should…
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Read More: Audio: Is Selling Liquor a Core Function of Government?Education
Ten Thousand Lifeboats
In 2001, Pennsylvania became the first state in the nation to enact an education tax credit aimed at corporations. Since then, the popular Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program has…
Fact Sheet
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Teacher union obstruction, not school funding, is the problem: PennLive letters
Topics on this page The Patriot-News…
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Misconceptions Cloud School Funding Debate
Would you believe that nearly three-quarters of Pennsylvania’s voters underestimate how much money we spend on schools? Shocking but true, according to a new poll testing the public’s knowledge of…
Commentary
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Poll: Nearly Two-Thirds Favor More Spending on Preschool
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Today’s Editorial: Lawmakers should rescue students, parents
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Urban Institute: PA state pension plans get poor rating
Topics on this page PennsylvaniaUrban Institute…
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Union Executives “Neutral” on Protecting Children
Legislation to protect children from predators in the classroom has stalled in Harrisburg. Union executives are standing in the way. Currently, teachers who sexually abuse or have…
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Campaigns maneuver to shape — or reshape — school funding story
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Writer got it wrong on Medicaid expansion: PennLive letters
Topics on this page MedicaidThe Patriot-News…
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Monopolizing Success
Is it time to wave the white flag on liquor privatization? After all, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) reported record revenue and transfers to the state’s General Fund…
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LCB posts record sales of more than $2.2 billion
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