The Paperwork Reduction Act doesn’t work, and everybody knows it. Per Alex Mechanick, it’s time for Congress to make comprehensive changes rather than continuing to pass piecemeal exemptions.

Conrad 30 lets international physicians who train in the U.S. practice in underserved communities. But last year, 330 of the program’s slots were unused. Congress should fix this.

Most state agencies wait until after unemployment claims are filed to ask employers why a worker left. By collecting separation data closer to the time of departure, states could reduce errors and help workers receive their benefits faster.

Our grid isn’t ready for 21st-century demands. Join us on Wednesday to discuss how unlocking HVDC can drive down energy costs and boost U.S. energy security. www.niskanencenter.org/how-congress...

Markets & innovation can power an abundant, clean energy future. To get there, reforms should focus on investing in innovation & infrastructure rather than prescribing narrow procedures. nationalinterest.org/blog/energy-...

Medicare reimburses hospitals more than freestanding clinics for the same routine procedures, so they acquire physician practices where patients could otherwise receive the same care at a lower cost. Newly proposed rules attempt to address this.

Electronic monitoring (EM) allows people who have committed crimes to serve their time without burdening an already stressed prison system. New evidence shows that it can do this while improving public safety. www.niskanencenter.org/can-we-reduc...

A huge thank you to all who made Abundance 2025 happen! Niskanen partnered with leading organizations to bring together elected officials, academics, and policy experts to explore what abundance can look like across parties and across the U.S. www.niskanencenter.org/niskanens-ab...

Per Kenneth Sercy, to reach net-zero, reforms must: – Invest in transmission and R&D. – Encourage fair pricing through carbon taxes and border adjustments. – Promote healthy market competition to spur innovation and drive down prices.

Today, we went to the Hill to discuss a politically viable fix for our strained and aging electric grid: a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) macrogrid. ⚡️

New research: Electronic monitoring (EM) can cut reoffending more effectively than prison at a fraction of the cost.

I learned about Abundance from Steve in the first place, so I may have thought this was more obvious than it is - it's not an ideology, it's to do with the material circumstances of ideology www.niskanencenter.org/abundance-va...

Choose your variety of abundance. It's like having your colors done, but actually useful. www.niskanencenter.org/abundance-va...

New: Niskanen Housing's writeup of the Senate Banking megabill 👇 Chair Scott & Ranking Member Warren assembled the biggest bipartisan federal housing package in living memory, with proposals from the whole committee—a real first step to buttress growing state & local action on the housing crisis

The Senate Banking Committee has advanced the ROAD to Housing Act—a rare, unanimous, bipartisan package tackling America’s housing shortage. 🏘️ @aarmlovi.bsky.social, @awjustus.bsky.social, and @rohanaras.bsky.social break down what’s in this 310-page bill ⬇️

NEW PAPER: The emerging “Abundance movement” isn’t left, right, or center—it’s a cross-cutting idea. Here are six different camps emerging across the political spectrum. 👇

The US had had 300,000 fewer overseas visitors this year than the comparable period of last year. That is: lost tourism services exports, lost business deals, lost research partnerships… just—loss. Data from Cecilia Esterline, @niskanencenter.bsky.social —> www.niskanencenter.org/immigrationd...

Big new paper from Steve Teles @niskanencenter.bsky.social today niskanencenter.org/abundance-va.... Steve outlines six types of “abundance” thinking he predicts will shape US politics. As in the Progressive Era, broad principles will attach to distinct cultural and political economic projects.

I have had SO many questions about the Abundance™️ debates & at times felt aligned, at times opposed, confused, excited… and SO lost for a clear definition. This new piece from @niskanencenter.bsky.social’s Steve Teles on “Abundance Varieties” is SO clarifying! www.niskanencenter.org/abundance-va...

Some D.C. neighborhoods wait while calls stack up. Others see patrol cars cruise by when demand is low. Richard Hahn's argues that smarter police deployment = fairness + faster response. www.niskanencenter.org/right-cops-r...

There’s no feedback loop to adjust laws that don’t work the way lawmakers intended them to. That makes it impossible to improve outcomes for the public.

With D.C. crime in the national spotlight, Richard Hahn argues that smarter deployment of police can cut response times, boost safety, and deliver better outcomes citywide. www.niskanencenter.org/right-cops-r...

When productivity can’t keep up, costs rise. That’s cost disease—and it explains much of the pressure families feel today. Encouraging to see leaders beginning to take this challenge seriously. www.wsj.com/economy/jake...

In my new piece with @niskanencenter.bsky.social, I explore how govt structures shape the systems they deliver. If we want govt to work better for the people it serves, we need to intentionally align organizational design with the outcomes we care about. www.niskanencenter.org/conways-law-...

Iowa’s UI program has been a national standout: remaining solvent while paying out generous benefits and building a substantive trust fund. But new reforms slash its revenue base in half—risking insolvency when workers need it most. www.niskanencenter.org/iowas-recent...

"What does it mean when we take the people who are supposed to be tracking terrorism and global organized crime and have them track Western Union transactions?"

💡 A kidney from a deceased donor lasts 7–10 years. 💡 A kidney from a living donor lasts 15–20 years. The End Kidney Deaths Act would encourage more living donors — and shrink the transplant waitlist. www.niskanencenter.org/saving-lives...

On average, 13 Americans die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. This is a policy failure.

Thousands of federal agents—from the FBI to the IRS—have been pulled from fighting crime, terrorism, and child exploitation to focus on immigration enforcement. www.niskanencenter.org/the-impact-o...

Hundreds of FBI agents have been reassigned to work on deportations and other immigration investigations, but they've been told to hide this shift.

The narrative that AI is taking recent grads' jobs is dominating the headlines. But does the data back it up? Not really.

The Trump administration has diverted 6,700+ federal employees away from: —white-collar crime — national security — drug and firearms trafficking — tax compliance It has reassigned them to work on deportations and other immigration-related investigations.

It's time to drop symbolic politics and ask, "How does this policy impact the average American?"

Pleased to join Cardiff Garcia on @innovateeconomy.bsky.social's show, on the new ROAD to Housing megabill that passed Senate Banking 24-0 It's a promising 1st step, led by Chair Scott & Sen Warren with ideas from every member—and their 1st housing markup in almost 20 years eig.org/newbazaar/is...

Want people to support housing density? Make cities broadly appealing, with clean streets, better transit, rigorous schools, and a healthy business climate. @cselmendorf.bsky.social @profschleich.bsky.social hypertext.niskanencenter.org/p/yimbyism-s...

Authoritarian governance in Central America has a poor economic track record. The Trump administration should prep now in case more migrants start coming from El Salvador.

Our conversation builds on an essay that @jacobtlevy.bsky.social wrote for @niskanencenter.bsky.social back in 2018. Sadly, it's more relevant now than ever. www.niskanencenter.org/law-and-bord...

I recently spoke with @jacobtlevy.bsky.social about tensions between immigration control and the rule of law. The rule of law is valuable precisely as a means to constrain state violence. Immigration control undermines those constraints on coercive power. Listen: www.mercatus.org/hayekprogram...

🚨 Big changes in El Salvador, with implications for the U.S.. — Its president ended runoff elections, consolidating power — U.S. ambassador has resigned. — The U.S. should get ready for an influx of migrants from the region if the economy falters. thedispatch.com/article/nayi...

"The whole space of land use is massively under-funded relative to its objective importance, and we should both have multi-issue moderate urbanism organizations and single-issue housing policy groups." @Mattyglesias www.slowboring.com/p/the-power-...

Launching the Outcome-Based Legislation Lab with @niskanencenter.bsky.social : a new, nonpartisan effort to help Congress write laws that actually work. We’re running retrospectives, capturing lessons, and building a library of outcome-focused legislative examples. Join us: forms.gle/bg9cnNbxJzsA...

The Trump administration has reassigned 6,700+ federal employees to support deportations and related immigration investigations. This will divert resources away from: —white-collar crime — national security — drug and firearms trafficking — tax compliance — protecting children from exploitation.

You can have government efficiency or you can wage the culture war through administrative policy. You can't have both. @gabemenchaca.bsky.social @pahlkadot.bsky.social

The plan to re-add Argentina to the visa waiver program “sends a muddled message” to countries that have lower visa refusal rates. “It would be much more predictable for everybody if we were able to make it much less political," says Gil Guerra.

Across the U.S., TPS holders live with an estimated 260,000 U.S. citizen children and about 320,000 US citizen adults. This decision will force families to either separate or uproot their lives entirely to countries that are unstable and unsafe. www.niskanencenter.org/the-u-s-cut-...

It’s probably not a coincidence that the YIMBY movement emerged after a generation-long decline in urban crime. @cselmendorf.bsky.social @profschleich.bsky.social hypertext.niskanencenter.org/p/yimbyism-s...

Argentina’s preparing to re-enter the U.S.’s visa waiver program, despite failing to meet a key requirement. This sends a confusing message on the international stage.

Smart use of electronic monitoring technology with clear rules and swift, fair responses to violations can shrink incarceration + reduce crime. Here's a path forward for community corrections: www.niskanencenter.org/a-step-in-th...

This summer, an outstanding class of 11 interns contributed across our teams at Niskanen. We are grateful for their dedication and support in advancing effective policy solutions.

Expelling law abiding, productive members of our communities is a self-inflicted wound. bsky.app/profile/nisk...