• Education
  • Financial Transparency Project
  • Pension Reform
  • Transportation
  • Email Newsletters
  • Reason facebook
  • Reason twitter
  • Reason youtube
Reason Foundation
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Email Newsletters
    • Events
    • FAQs
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Savas Award
    • Shop
    • Staff
    • Trustees & Officers
  • Experts

      Browse Our Experts

      • Aaron Smith
        Director of Education Reform
      • Adrian Moore
        Vice President of Policy
      • Baruch Feigenbaum
        Senior Managing Director, Transportation Policy
      • Geoff Lawrence
        Research Director
      • Guy Bentley
        Director of Consumer Freedom
      • Leonard Gilroy
        Vice President of Government Reform
      • Robert Poole
        Director of Transportation Policy
      • Vittorio Nastasi
        Director of Criminal Justice Policy
      • View All Experts
  • Topics

      Browse Our Topics

      • Air Traffic Control
      • Annual Highway Report
      • Consumer Freedom
      • Criminal Justice Reform
      • Drug Policy
      • Education
      • Email Newsletters
      • Gov’t Financial Transparency
      • Pension Reform
      • Technology
      • Transportation
      • View All Topics
  • Publications
    • Latest
    • Government Financial Transparency Project
    • Annual Highway Report
    • Annual Pension Report
    • Annual Privatization Report
    • Aviation Newsletter
    • Backgrounders
    • Commentaries
    • Data Visualization
    • Education Newsletter
    • Email Newsletters
    • Pension Reform Newsletter
    • Policy Studies
    • Psychedelics Newsletter
    • Public Schools Without Boundaries
    • Testimony
    • Transportation Newsletter
    • Amicus Briefs
  • Reason.com
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving

Policy Studies

  • By Topic
  • By Author
  • By Date

  • State taxpayers’ share of MPSERS debt would increase under various proposals
    State taxpayers’ share of MPSERS debt would increase under various proposals

    The first 20.96% of each year’s unfunded accrued liability contribution is currently paid by local school districts, and any amount required above that is paid by the state.

    Backgrounder by Ryan Frost June 19, 2024

  • Michigan requires greater transparency to support public trust in law enforcement
    Michigan requires greater transparency to support public trust in law enforcement

    Michigan House Bill 5749 would clarify that law enforcement disciplinary records are not exempted from public records requests.

    Backgrounder by Vittorio Nastasi June 12, 2024

  • Is private equity a public financial hazard?
    Is private equity a public financial hazard?

    Private equity funds lack clear return and risk metrics, making it hard to assess performance before investments are redeemed, often a decade or more after the initial investment.

    Policy Brief by Larry Pollack June 6, 2024

  • Delaying Mississippi PERS reform will increase cost to taxpayers
    Delaying Mississippi PERS reform will increase cost to taxpayers

    PERS faces a $25.5 billion shortfall largely due to unfunded benefit increases, investment underperformance, and insufficient employer contributions.

    Backgrounder by Leonard Gilroy and Steven Gassenberger April 12, 2024

  • Getting cannabis legalization right in Hawaii
    Getting cannabis legalization right in Hawaii

    Hawaii may be poised to become the 25th state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults aged 21 and over.

    Policy Brief by Michelle Minton and Geoffrey Lawrence March 29, 2024

  • How to modernize and properly fund the inland waterway system
    How to modernize and properly fund the inland waterway system

    There's an $800 million backlog of current inland waterway system projects and another $6 billion worth of projects planned, but not yet started.

    Policy Study by Jay Derr March 26, 2024

  • Ibogaine treatment for opioid use disorder
    Ibogaine treatment for opioid use disorder

    Policymakers should consider ibogaine as a potential alternative treatment for opioid use disorder.

    Policy Brief by Madison Carlino March 15, 2024

  • Regulated psilocybin access in Arizona would help treat mental health conditions
    Regulated psilocybin access in Arizona would help treat mental health conditions

    Arizona Senate Bill 1570 would create a regulated and limited program to access psilocybin.

    Backgrounder by Leonard Gilroy and Geoffrey Lawrence March 13, 2024

  • The effects of cash bail on crime and court appearances
    The effects of cash bail on crime and court appearances

    Research suggests that curtailing the use of monetary release conditions among low-risk defendants would not result in dramatic drops in court attendance or increased risk of reoffending.

    Policy Brief by Vittorio Nastasi March 12, 2024

  • Senate Bill 88 would expose Alaska to significant additional costs
    Senate Bill 88 would expose Alaska to significant additional costs

    This bill could realistically add $9.6 billion in additional costs to future state budgets and reintroduce Alaska to significant pension risk.

    Backgrounder by Zachary Christensen and Leonard Gilroy March 1, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: A comprehensive look at K-12 resources and outcomes
    Public education at a crossroads: A comprehensive look at K-12 resources and outcomes

    Examining key education spending, enrollment, staffing, and student performance data over the past two decades in all 50 states.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard and Jordan Campbell February 29, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: K-12 education revenue and expenditure trends 2002-2020
    Public education at a crossroads: K-12 education revenue and expenditure trends 2002-2020

    Nationwide, inflation-adjusted public school revenues grew from $12,852 per student in 2002 to $16,065 per student in 2020.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Jordan Campbell and Christian Barnard February 29, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: Enrollment, staffing, and teacher salary trends 2002-2020
    Public education at a crossroads: Enrollment, staffing, and teacher salary trends 2002-2020

    Nationwide, inflation-adjusted average teacher salaries fell by 0.6% between 2002 and 2020 with a total of 26 states seeing declines.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Jordan Campbell and Christian Barnard February 29, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (low-income students only) 
    Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (low-income students only) 

    Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 4th grade NAEP math score for free and reduced-price lunch eligible students increased by seven points.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Jordan Campbell and Christian Barnard February 29, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (all students)
    Public education at a crossroads: Math and reading outcomes (all students)

    Between 2003 and 2019, the average U.S. 8th-grade NAEP reading score was flat. The average 8th-grade NAEP math score increased by four points.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Jordan Campbell and Christian Barnard February 29, 2024

  • Public education at a crossroads: Education spending data for all 50 states 2002-2020
    Public education at a crossroads: Education spending data for all 50 states 2002-2020

    Examining every state's K-12 public education spending, staffing and enrollment levels, teacher salaries and more.

    K-12 Education Spending Spotlight by Aaron Garth Smith, Jordan Campbell and Christian Barnard February 29, 2024

  • House Bill 2854 threatens Oklahoma’s pension progress
    House Bill 2854 threatens Oklahoma’s pension progress

    House Bill 2854 would re-expose Oklahoma to unnecessary unfunded liabilities, financial risks, and hidden costs that would ultimately be borne by taxpayers.

    Backgrounder by Leonard Gilroy and Steven Gassenberger February 23, 2024

  • Redirecting MPSERS’ debt payment could cost taxpayers $1.4 billion
    Redirecting MPSERS’ debt payment could cost taxpayers $1.4 billion

    Eliminating a $670 million annual contribution into MPSERS would require an additional $1.4 billion over the next 14 years in net pension payments.

    Backgrounder by Leonard Gilroy and Ryan Frost February 23, 2024

  • Prev
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • ...
  • 63
  • Next

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Email Updates

Get weekly updates from Reason.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

More About Reason Foundation

  • About
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Email Newsletters
  • Events
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Policy Research
  • Reason magazine
  • Shop

Contact

Reason Foundation
5737 Mesmer Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90230
(310) 391-2245

1630 Connecticut Ave NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 986-0916

Privacy Policy
Accessibility

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
Copyright © 2025 Reason Foundation