Niskanen Center

Niskanen Center Strengthening liberal democracy through innovative policy solutions.

05/12/2026

Solving more crime prevents future crime. Utah, Tennessee, Michigan, and Ohio are already acting to invest in their investigative capacities. More states should follow suit.

$19 billion in tax credits went to the wrong people in 2024, while many eligible families in need got nothing.There’s a ...
05/04/2026

$19 billion in tax credits went to the wrong people in 2024, while many eligible families in need got nothing.

There’s a better way.

Canada achieves 99% accuracy by verifying once at birth and only requiring updates when family arrangements change.

How can we adopt a better system?

📍Shift to a "primarily responsible caregiver" standard
📍Allow parents to designate caregivers at birth or adoption with the IRS
📍Build a digital IRS portal for family arrangement updates

We can support families and reduce errors at the same time.

Great conversations and even better company last night as we discussed Opportunity by Design, a new report by Senior Fel...
04/29/2026

Great conversations and even better company last night as we discussed Opportunity by Design, a new report by Senior Fellow Denise Bell!

The report explores how states can turn immigration into real economic advantage: What does it actually take to build a healthy, resilient workforce in today’s rapidly changing economy?

From expanding labor force participation to unlocking overlooked talent and reducing barriers to work, the panel brought together diverse perspectives from policy, education, and local government.

Here’s the takeaway: Smart, inclusive workforce strategies aren’t just good policy; they’re essential for economic growth and community strength.

Huge thanks to Denise Bell (Niskanen Center), Eva A. Millona (former DHS Assistant Secretary), Amanda Bergson-Shilcock (National Skills Coalition), Dr. Katie Brown (EnGen), Kristie De Peña (America’s Competitive Edge Initiative), Jimmy Hallyburton (Boise City Council), and Kit Taintor (World Education Services) for a thoughtful and solutions-focused conversation.

Looking forward to seeing how these ideas translate into action across states. 💡

Criminals don’t think about how long they’ll be locked up—they think about whether they’ll get caught at all. That means...
04/23/2026

Criminals don’t think about how long they’ll be locked up—they think about whether they’ll get caught at all. That means the most powerful deterrent isn’t a longer sentence. It’s the certainty of consequences. Instead of doubling down on incarceration, we should invest in the investigative work that solves more crimes and holds more people accountable.

04/08/2026

Did you know the typical American spends HALF their budget just on housing and transportation?

This year, Congress has a rare chance to lower both costs together with the Surface Transportation Reauthorization. Here’s how:

1️⃣ Connect people to opportunity
2️⃣ Reward housing growth
3️⃣ Cut infrastructure costs

Housing and transportation aren’t separate—they’re one system. Congress can make your cost of living more manageable if it tackles them together. 🏠🚌

04/07/2026

Our inability to grow and unwillingness to adapt is impacting American competitiveness.

“China has built tens of thousands of miles of high capacity transmission in the last two decades to our hundreds, and has adopted the modern high voltage direct current system to move power long distances. We are behind on increasing capacity. We are behind on adopting modern technology. This will put us behind on attracting and maintaining top industries.”

Dr. Liza Reed testifying before the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing: “State of the Bulk Power System” on March 25, 2026.

04/02/2026

“The next industry can be built anywhere there are electrons; let’s make sure it’s right here in the U.S.”

Congress has the power to deliver a grid that fuels economic growth, lowers energy costs, and secures America’s competitive edge. But without serious upgrades to our power system, that future could go elsewhere.

Dr. Liza Reed testifying before the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing: “State of the Bulk Power System” on March 25, 2026.

Expanding our grid is non-optional. But it can take over a decade to permit an interstate powerline—because approval res...
04/02/2026

Expanding our grid is non-optional. But it can take over a decade to permit an interstate powerline—because approval rests with individual states, even individual counties.

03/31/2026

“Transmission is what allows that coordination to happen and ensures every American has access to affordable power.

Right now, our system is not built to do that well.”

Dr. Liza Reed testifying before the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing: “State of the Bulk Power System” on March 25, 2026.

During Winter Storm Fern, coal, gas, and solar underperformed while wind overdelivered across regions. The power was exi...
03/30/2026

During Winter Storm Fern, coal, gas, and solar underperformed while wind overdelivered across regions. The power was existed, but our grid couldn’t get it to where it needed to go.

Three things Congress can do about this:

1️⃣ Build more interregional transmission
2️⃣ Streamline siting and permitting
3️⃣ Enable technologies like HVDC to move power farther, faster

Energy reliability as isn’t just a generation problem—it needs a network that can actually get it to where it’s needed

Address

Washington D.C., DC

Telephone

+12028991166

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Niskanen Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Niskanen Center:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category