March 5, 2012 | Policy Report by PRIYA ABRAHAM, CARA DOCHAT

The Squeeze: Government Unions' Grip on Pennsylvanians

Pennsylvania's government unions wield tremendous political influence and advance policies that harm the commonwealth's taxpayers, children, and even their own members. Pennsylvania is a forced union state, meaning even workers who are not official union members must pay fees to the union as a condition of their employment. A single union usually has monopoly bargaining power with a government unit, such as a school district, preventing employees from choosing a different union or from bargaining individually. And most government units are "agency shop," requiring non-union workers to pay a fair share fee to a union in order to keep their job.

February 16, 2012 | Policy Report by ELIZABETH STELLE

Ending the Cycle: Reforming Welfare in Pennsylvania

Government welfare, with its goal to provide a helping hand to those in need, has instead become a vast series of programs that fall far short of the good intentions behind them. Welfare spending in the Keystone State consumes a growing share of the state budget, and is projected to crowd out spending on other government programs in the near future. In addition to being costly, too many welfare programs frequently provide low-quality care to recipients. The result is that Pennsylvania's welfare system promotes greater dependence on government - instead of independence and personal responsibility - resulting in higher, rather than reduced poverty. This doesn't have to be the case.

October 10, 2011 | Policy Report by PRIYA ABRAHAM, NATHAN BENEFIELD

The Learning Revolution

How Cyber Schools and Blended Learning Transform Students' Lives

Online learning serves a significant and growing number of students, and represents a significant shift in how we educate Pennsylvania's children.  In light of the growth of cyber and hybrid schools and the debate over their accountability, this Report seeks to help Pennsylvania residents understand more about cyber charter schools, whom they serve, and how they operate.

May 26, 2011 | Policy Report by LEONARD GILROY, HARRIS KENNY, KATRINA CURRIE, ELIZABETH STELLE

Privatizing "Yellow Pages" Government

This report surveys the scope of Yellow Pages Government in Pennsylvania, looks at examples of state and local privatization throughout the country, and outlines best practices to equip lawmakers to successfully transition government out of unnecessary services by implementing a variety of models.

March 15, 2011 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Streamlining State Government

Reforming the Regulatory Structure of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania businesses must navigate a complex web of regulations from more than 340 independent state agencies, offices, state departments, boards, commissions, and committees stemming from the executive branch. Several other boards, committees, and commissions in state government primarily provide an advisory or public relations role, often with little to show for their work.

January 17, 2011 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania

A Blueprint for Transforming the Commonwealth

Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition.  To provide a roadmap for success in this critical endeavor, the Commonwealth Foundation has compiled a list of 80 policy recommendations for Gov. Corbett and state legislators to help lead a Pennsylvania comeback.  Each of these recommendations links to Commonwealth Foundation research with more information on each issue.  Collectively, these recommendations represent a "A Blueprint for Transforming the Commonwealth," which can be found at CommonwealthFoundation.org/BluePrint.

January 11, 2011 | Policy Report by STEPHEN A. MOSES

Long-Term Care Reform

More Access to Better Care at Lower Costs

Long-term care is very expensive whether provided in a nursing home, an assisted living facility, or in someone's home. Medicaid pays for most professional long-term care (LTC) in Pennsylvania.  LTC currently costs Pennsylvania taxpayers $6.6 billion per year, making up 40% of all Medicaid spending (much higher than the national average).  Because of the commonwealth's aging population, taxpayer costs for Medicaid long-term care will skyrocket in the coming years absent reform.

July 28, 2010 | Policy Report by BEACON HILL INSTITUTE AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY

Growing Money on Trees

An Analysis of PA’s Climate Change Action Plan

In December 2009, the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee (PCCAC), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS), released its report, Pennsylvania: Final Climate Change Action Plan. However, a cost-benefit analysis finds serious flaws in the report, rendering its findings useless for policymakers seeking to make informed policy decisions about climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania.

June 23, 2010 | Policy Report by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania

A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania identifies opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-11 budget.  The report also offers a series of recommendations for resolving the current revenue shortfall and reducing the size and burden of government on Pennsylvanians.

October 15, 2009 | Policy Report by PENNSYLVANIA FAMILY INSTITUTE

Repealing Death Tax Will Create Jobs and Boost Economy in Pennsylvania

Eliminating the Death Tax could create over 1.5 million jobs for small and family business workers, including 64,442 jobs in Pennsylvania. An increase in the Death Tax rates to 55% with only a $1 million exemption would cost 500,000 jobs, a loss of 21,481 jobs in Pennsylvania alone.