Policy Briefs
View all policy studies.-
What Kratom and delta-8 THC illustrate about substance regulation and criminalization
Substances like delta-8 and kratom are new entrants into what has become an “underground” market for “legal” buzzes and highs.
-
Fuel tax rebates for newly tolled Interstates: A quantitative assessment
The purpose of this policy study is to assess the feasibility of providing fuel tax rebates for miles driven on reconstructed Interstates financed by toll revenues.
-
Vanpools: The forgotten mode of mass transit
Vanpools are a high-quality, low-cost mass transit option.
-
A primer on carbon taxes
Examining claims that replacing existing regulations, subsidies, and tax expenditures with a carbon tax would more cost-effectively achieve emissions-reductions goals.
-
Examining excess deaths, years of lives lost, and other health consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic
"The non-COVID death toll that has accompanied the pandemic is large, well into six digits."
-
Federal law unconstitutionally prohibits medical marijuana users from possessing firearms
To prevent violations of the Second and Fifth Amendments, Congress should amend the Gun Control Act of 1968 to permit an exception for legal medical marijuana use.
-
Pathways and policy for 21st-century freight rail
The successful development and deployment of automation technologies in the future is key to ensuring freight rail’s ongoing success.
-
Providing Electronic Toll Collection to the Unbanked and Underbanked
Providing one or more user-friendly tolling options for the unbanked and underbanked is important to ensure economic inclusion for everyone.
-
U.S. Space Traffic Management and Orbital Debris Policy
Public-private partnerships could improve the tracking and removal of space debris and better manage space traffic.
-
The 2021 Texas Power Crisis: What Happened and What Can Be Done to Avoid Another One?
This report focuses on ERCOT and the electric power system because the power outages were the proximate cause of many hardships suffered during the failures.
-
Rethinking Interstate Rest Areas
This policy brief suggests that a 21st-century Interstate system should have state-of-the-art service plazas in addition to new pavement, improved bridges, and redesigned and rebuilt interchanges in many urban areas.
-
Mass Transit Systems Face Critical Challenges Now and When COVID-19 Pandemic Is Over
Public transportation is uniquely sensitive to changes in the number of people working from home, changes in commuting patterns, and concerns over public health and safety.
-
Nebraska’s Growing Municipal Pension Funding Challenges
Omaha and Lincoln have made progress in addressing pension issues in recent years, but unfunded liabilities are likely to continue to grow and harm city finances.
-
Challenges and Opportunities for Federal Automated Vehicle Policy
This policy brief aims to provide guidance to federal policymakers as they work to develop a pro-innovation national framework for automated vehicles.
-
Fiscal Explainer: Texas Charter School Funding Analysis
Between 2015 and 2019, the inflation-adjusted funding gap between public charter schools and traditional public schools grew by about 36 percent—from $596 per pupil to $813 per pupil.
-
Would a Green Fiscal Stimulus Help the Environment and the Economy?
This policy brief considers the main “green recovery” proposals and evaluates whether they would achieve their stated objectives.
-
Transportation and COVID-19: A State Guide to Policy and Priorities
What states can do amidst today's uncertainty, with a policy focus on mitigating risks to public-sector transportation operations and infrastructure investments.
-
A Vision For Better School Funding in Arkansas
Arkansas should streamline education dollars into a weighted student formula and ensure that school operational decisions are left in the hands of local leaders.
