Political rhetoric on trade poses risks to Wisconsin
Scott Niederjohn Ph.D.Our large manufacturing sector thrives on international commerce and would suffer from a trade war What do economists know that politicians don’t? A recent University of Chicago Booth School poll…
Wisconsin’s dysfunctional childcare rules hurt parents’ pockets
Patrick McIlheranNew research quantifies states’ regulations and puts a number on the harm Wisconsin, it turns out, is among the states working most diligently at making childcare more expensive. Makes you…
Wisconsin’s burdensome childcare rules hurt parents’ pockets
New research quantifies states’ regulations and puts a number on the harm Wisconsin, it turns out, is among the states working most diligently at making childcare more expensive. Makes you…
Exclusive: 2025 policy and legislative plan
Badger InstituteFrom the desk of Mike Nichols, Badger Institute President The 132 members of the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate who will head to the Capitol this January will include at least…
The harm of guaranteed basic income
James BohnUnconditional cash did nothing to raise recipients out of poverty; Madison and Milwaukee have dabbled with idea Results from the nation’s most comprehensive experiment in offering people a guaranteed basic…
Milwaukee aside, police ranks recovering across Wisconsin
Mark LisheronStill 6% fewer officers than decade ago While Milwaukee continues to struggle putting sworn officers on the streets, the police departments in Wisconsin’s other largest cities are at or fast…
Wisconsin: the GOAT of dairy goats
Michael JahrCheeseheads have a new bleating heart When it comes to dairy cow production, Wisconsin was long, well, the GOAT. For decades, the state had both the largest number of dairy…
Justice has gotten swifter in Wisconsin; observers see room for more improvement
Jeremiah MostellerTwo years after the Badger Institute and others rang alarm bells about delays in criminal justice because of staffing problems among Wisconsin’s prosecutors and public defenders, and one year after…
Justice Gorsuch, we have an update for you
Mike Nichols Mark Lisheron 38 Wyatt EichholzSince his book cited Badger Institute research on federal role in bloated bureaucracy, we update the grim figures In his new book, “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much…
Cannabis citation rates differ widely in small sample of Wisconsin communities
Police in DeForest more than 13 times as likely to issue cannabis citations than counterparts in Milwaukee, Fitchburg or Hobart/Lawrence It can’t be known whether residents of DeForest are more…