Reason Foundation

Recent Research and Commentary

Crony Capitalism and Community Development Subsidies

Do commmunity development subsidies actually result in community development? Or have they been captured by vested interests?

June 11, 2013

Anthony Randazzo, Victor Nava

Every year, the federal government’s budget is loaded with hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies. A little known piece of that pile of taxpayer cash giveaways is the nearly $20 billion spent each year on “community development” subsidies. While not as well known as farm subsidies or the special benefits of the mortgage interest deduction, the money spent on community development programs surpasses the $15 billion in subsidies the Department of Transportation uses to subsidize Amtrak and air traffic controllers, and equals the $20 billion in renewable energy subsidies from the Department of Energy. But do commmunity development subsidies actually result in community development? And to what extent have such subsidies been captured by vested interests?

A Labor Market Mired in Historical Lows is an Unhealthy Labor Market

June 7, 2013, 9:13am

Anthony Randazzo, Adam Millsap

Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the headline unemployment rate was "essentially unchanged" at 7.6 percent. Since January, the unemployment rate has remained between 7.9 percent and 7.5 percent. While the May unemployment figures appear to indicate that the employment situation has stabilized, the reality is far less rosy. The number of persons not in the labor force remains has historic levels, and is up nearly two million from May of 2012.

Citizens Property Insurance Privatization: Crony Capitalism or Good Policy?

June 3, 2013, 8:19am

Victor Nava

On Wednesday Citizens Property Insurance, Florida’s state-run windstorm and general insurance provider, will decide on whether or not to transfer a small portion of its existing policies into the hands of the private sector.

Developments in Local Government Privatization

Annual Privatization Report 2013 examines local government privatization trends

May 6, 2013

Harris Kenny, Adam Summers, Steven Titch

This section of Reason Foundation's Annual Privatization Report 2013 provides an overview of the latest on privatization and public-private partnerships in local government. Topics include:

A. Mayor Emanuel Establishes Chicago Infrastructure Trust

B. Public-Private Partnerships for Parking Assets

C. Yonkers, New York Pursuing Innovative School Partnership Approach

D. City of Austin Releases Surprising Outsourcing Study

E. Georgia Contract Cities Continue to Evolve

F. Finding New Ways to Provide Parks and Recreation Amenities

G. Water and Wastewater Privatization Update

H. Solid Waste Collection Update

I. Non-Profit Partnerships for Animal Shelters Grow

J. ANALYSIS: Is Managed Competition Dead in San Diego?

K. ANALYSIS: San Diego, San Jose Lead the Way in Local Pension Reform

L. ANALYSIS: Despite Glossy Reports, Muni Broadband is Still a Net Money Loser

M. Local Government Privatization News and Notes

» Return to Annual Privatization Report 2013 homepage

Living in Operatic Times

On Estonia, it looks like the Krugmanloons were wrong and President Ilves was right

April 25, 2013

Julian Morris

The operatic scale of the financial crisis that has engulfed the world since 2007 has finally been recognised. April 7 sees the premiere, in Talinn, of Nostra Culpa, a 16 minute opera inspired by a “Twitter feud” in which Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves denounced New York Times pontificator Paul Krugman for asserting that Estonia’s response to the crisis had not been a success.

Federal Privatization Update

Annual Privatization Report examines privatization and public-private partnership trends at the federal level

April 15, 2013

Adam Summers, Anthony Randazzo, Steven Titch, Victor Nava

The federal section of Reason Foundation's Annual Privatization Report 2013 provides an overview of the latest on federal government privatization and public-private partnerships. Topics include:

A. BCFC Outlines $795 Billion in Federal Budget Savings

B. Congress Takes on Postal Service Reform—Again

C. Space Privatization Update

D. ANALYSIS: Google, Facebook, Antitrust and the “Public Good”

E. ANALYSIS: Private Sector is Best-Positioned to Lead Cybersecurity Policy

F. ANALYSIS: Privatization of Financial Regulation is Not Impossible

» Return to Annual Privatization Report 2013 homepage

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