Blog
July 12, 2011
Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner have combined on an invaluable new book, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era. The fact they are both Evangelical Christians makes many of their arguments all the more important and brave
July 5, 2011
MPR's Public Insight Network asks whether you want elected leaders who, during tough negotiations, value compromise or principle more. Here's how I answered.
June 27, 2011
Reporter Baird Helgeson had a very good piece in the Star Tribune late last week about how Minnesota Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers is the “Man in the Middle” these hard days.
June 24, 2011
Both the state and federal governments are dealing with very serious budget issues. American Experiment has been busy writing about these matters over the past couple of months. In case you missed anything, here's a running list of our latest commentaries, blogs, and essays on the state and federal government's ongoing budget problems.
June 24, 2011
Last week, the Star Tribune editorial department set out to clarify the numbers behind the competing state budget plans offered by the Legislature and Governor Dayton. According to them, “several spin machines” have been throwing out confusing budget numbers. Specifically, they took issue with Ecolab CEO Doug Baker’s claim that the Legislature’s budget increases spending by 6 percent over the last biennium.
June 20, 2011
Last week, I participated in a debate on privatization with Dane Smith, President of Growth & Justice. The issue was teed up by a statement made by Tim Pawlenty in a major speech outlining his economic plan.
June 3, 2011
Last week Barcelona beat Manchester United to win their third Champions League title in six years. The win, the New York Times reports, is now “fueling a debate about whether [Barcelona] is one of the best teams in soccer history.”
May 24, 2011
It is really quite amazing – or maybe it really isn’t – for the national media and other fancy observers to continue dwelling on Tim Pawlenty’s supposed vanilla. “Pawlenty is polenta,” a perpetually cited political scientist from Virginia was quoted in the Pioneer Press this morning. “It’s bland, and that’s kind of where he is.” Another scholar, this one from always-scintillating Iowa, stuck with earth tones by describing Pawlenty as “beige.” Combining the two descriptions, one can only wonder if the new presidential candidate turns no deeper than lilac when he gets angry.
May 21, 2011
Early on in the legislative session, the Minnesota House and Senate set out to cut $1.6 billion from the health and human services (HHS) budget. These cuts are part of a broader strategy to balance Minnesota’s projected $5 billion budget deficit without raising taxes. Mid-week, the House and the Senate finished their work and passed a HHS budget with cuts totaling $1.8 billion. (They hit their $1.6 billion target for the general fund and cut another $222 million from the health care access fund.)
May 18, 2011
This excellent video reveals how Carpe Diem School in Yuma, Arizona boosts student achievement through blending traditional instruction with technology and extended learning opportunities.
