Our vision is an Alaska that continuously grows prosperity by maximizing individual opportunities and freedom
Introduction Alaska’s economy and Alaskans’ livelihoods were hit particularly hard by the government shutdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and Alaskans are struggling to recover. But businesses are now open, employment is slowly […]
Click here to view the interactive graphs (detached from the full report) For many years, the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has required the largest portions of state spending, with the Department […]
This article was first published in the Alaska Watchman on December 30th, 2021 by Joel Davidson, Editor-In-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. In a new report analyzing fiscal, regulatory and personal freedoms across all […]
A student’s ability to read is a critical predictor of educational and lifelong success. A strong reading program, beginning in kindergarten and continuing into the third grade and beyond, gives students the best […]
Click here to view the interactive graphs (detached from the full report) For many years, the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has required one of the largest portions of state […]
This op-ed was originally published by the Washington Examiner on November 16, 2021. In January, the Alaska Supreme Court will hear its first appeal against Ballot Measure 2, which instituted ranked-choice voting in […]
Every December, the governor of Alaska is required to release a budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. In this upcoming legislative session (in 2022), policymakers will be enacting the FY 2023 state […]
Authored by Jonathan Helton of Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in association with Alaska Policy Forum The PDF in its original form can be found here. Executive Summary Alaska is heavily dependent on waterborne […]
Currently, there are more job openings available than there are people to fill them. Nationally, there are 10.4 million unfilled job openings and 7.4 unemployed workers. In Alaska, monthly job openings are not data that is […]
Imagine for a second, that every day public employees report to work, collect a paycheck from taxpayers, and don’t perform any government duties. Instead, they spend their time working on private tasks unrelated […]
Introduction These budget blocks are a simple, straightforward way to visualize how Alaska is spending its money and from which funds that money is coming. The size of each block corresponds to the […]
By Win Gruening This article was originally published by The Juneau Empire on November 11, 2021. With every passing day, the justification for Juneau switching to universal vote-by-mail becomes murkier, more problematic and […]
by Dave Donley This communication is from Dave Donley as an individual and not on behalf of the Anchorage School District or School Board or any appointed or military position he may hold. […]
At least 12 states allow students to enroll in public schools at least part-time. Alaska has one of the broadest policies in the nation, thus allowing many families to choose which educational opportunities are best for […]
Alaska ranks dead last in the U.S. for business competitiveness in 2021. CNBC releases an annual report ranking all 50 states on which are best to do business in, and Alaska ranked 50th […]
School closures and uncertainty in 2020 and 2021 certainly did no favors for Alaskan students. The 2021 Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) results are now available, and they reveal particularly worrisome trends in proficiency, especially in mathematics. More than […]