The year 2011 was declared by the Wall Street Journal to be "The Year of School Choice," as twelve states and the District of Columbia gave parents more opportunities to choose the best education for their children. (more…)
How well are we educating children in Mississippi schools?
In many cases, we are doing quite well. Judging by test scores and graduation rates, many students are showing they can compete with the best students in the world. In some instances those are isolated schools, but in many cases, there are entire districts where most of the students are highly successful. (more…)
Turn on the evening news these days and within minutes you're likely to hear an elected official talking about job creation.
It's understandable that they would do that. People are rightfully concerned about the state of our economy and the job market, and they are demanding that politicians "Do something - anything!" to fix the problem. (more…)
Think Tank Puts County Spending Details Online for the Public
Mississippians can now see the details of spending decisions made by 62 of the state's 82 counties on a website called SeeTheSpending.org. (more…)
If you are a conservative in Mississippi, I'm sure you are celebrating the election results, and there certainly is cause for that. But at the risk of spoiling the party, I want to caution you not to think your job is over. (more…)
Attn: PERS Study Commission
Written Statement of Dr. Jameson Taylor
V.P. for Policy at the Mississippi Center for Public Policy
September 14, 2011 (more…)
One of the usual arguments against the death penalty is the commandment, "Thou shall not kill." On its face, that would seem to be a valid argument, but it's not.
First of all, the command is given to individuals, not to government. The Bible makes clear that government has certain responsibilities that are not given to individuals, one of which is to punish those who do evil, even to the point of "wielding the sword" if necessary. Domestically, that's accomplished with our justice system when it works properly. When we face a foreign adversary, it is our military.
Taken to its logical conclusion, applying "Thou shall not kill" to the government would require police to disarm - and even soldiers for that matter - for fear that they might kill someone in the line of duty.
There are legitimate elements of debate on the death penalty. But this is not one of them.
For more on the proper role of government, order the print or audio edition of our primer titled Governing by Principle. We'll send a copy at no cost to you. Go to mspolicy.org or call us at Triple8-MSPolicy.
A lot of attention has been given to the gargantuan debt that has been racked up the federal government. And though it pales in comparison, the amount of debt racked up by the state government warrants attention, too. (more…)
Another federal court has now recognized that Congress does not have the authority to force Americans to buy a product. It is sad that so many people in Congress failed to read the text and history of the Constitution before they approved the massive health care overhaul bill last year, which included a provision requiring all Americans to buy health insurance. (more…)