State Budget

The Shapiro Stalemate Enters Year Three

  • September 12, 2025

Gov. Josh Shapiro wants Pennsylvanians to believe that he wasn’t responsible for this year’s budget impasse—just like he wasn’t for last year’s stalemate or the year before that. For three…

Blog

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Public Union Democracy

Government Union Efforts to Restrict Workers’ Rights

  • Jessica Barnett
  • June 1, 2018

June will bring a U.S. Supreme Court decision potentially restoring First Amendment rights to millions of public sector workers. The response from government union leaders? Schemes to continue—and further restrict—public…

Media

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Education

More on Philadelphia School Trends

  • James Paul
  • August 15, 2014

Philadelphia-based Research for Action (RFA) took issue with CF’s Policy Points on spending, enrollment, and staffing trends in the School District of Philadelphia. The…

Media

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Education

Keeping Teachers in the Classroom

  • Priya Brannick
  • January 2, 2014

Given our still-sputtering economy, Americans have grown used to their public schools facing tight budgets. This fiscal squeeze has drawn out a hidden crisis in public education: How do we…

Commentary

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Government Accountability

In Defense of Political Anonymity

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 2, 2010

Former FEC Chief Bradley Smith has a good article in the winter issue of City Journal on the problems with campaign finance disclosure. Imagine if the George W.

Media

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Government Accountability

Break Up SEPTA

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • November 10, 2009

How can Pennsylvania lawmakers avoid this mess? The first step is to open mass transit in Philadelphia to competitive contracting, whereby private companies would compete to operate SEPTA's network.

Commentary

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Government Accountability

Book Review: The Best-Laid Plans

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 11, 2008

Fans of The Road to Serfdom will recognize the dangers of government planning. Unfortunately, government planning has become even more prevalent in the US since Hayek’s warning. Randal O’Toole’s book…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

Post-Gazette defends mass transit monopolies

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 23, 2008

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a nonsensical editorial opposing Mike Turzai and Mike Mustio’s legislation which would allow competition in mass transit in Pittsburgh. Currently the Port Authority of Allegheny…

Media

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