Policy Report

Improving Charter School Accountability: The Challenge of Closing Failing Schools

Today some 5,600 charter schools are in operation, with more than two million students. Some critics persist in a fruitless argument that these schools have…

PPI Battleground Home Values Index

In these 16 states, home prices are down an average of 16 percent since October 2008—from a median of $160,596 to a median of $131,191…

How Standing Up For Chinese Workers Helps America’s Economy

China may look like an unstoppable economic juggernaut, but it is increasingly beset at home by worker protests and strikes. Last June, for example, security…

A Thumb on the Scales: Outside Spending in 2010 Senate Races

In 2010, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission forever changed the landscape of political spending. The Court’s ruling to…

In Slump, Localities Resort to Excise Taxes

Nobody likes excise taxes—those annoying extra costs people notice only because of how narrow and random they are. They show up on hotel bills and…

Natural Gas Reconsidered

During the past few years, the United States has received an unexpected energy windfall: put simply, we have a lot more natural gas than we…

A New Idea To Fix the Housing Market

The U.S. housing market continues to stumble. The median home price is now at its lowest level since April 2002 and the percentage of Americans…

Going Exponential: Growing the Charter School Sector’s Best

Public debate continues to rage about the role of public charter schools in education reform. Policymakers and philanthropists across the political spectrum – some with…

Cutting the Tether: Enhancing the U.S. Military’s Energy Performance

Watch live streaming video from progressivepolicyinstitute at livestream.com “Unleash us from the tether of fuel.” — Gen. James Mattis, former commander of the 1st Marine…

Cutting the Tether: Enhancing the U.S. Military’s Energy Performance

Watch live streaming video from progressivepolicyinstitute at livestream.com “Unleash us from the tether of fuel.”     — Gen. James Mattis, former commander of the…