Congress is once again rewriting the immigration laws. How wide, and to whom, should we open that Golden Door? What goals should our national immigration policy serve?
Features
Getting Prisons Straight
In the 1970s prison rehabilitation seemed destined for the conservatives’ trophy case of failed social programs. Now the evidence looks better: Some programs have beneficial effects on both the prisoners and the prisons.
Fetal Risks, Women’s Rights: Showdown at Johnson Controls
For the first time, women are gaining entry to “good” jobs in manufacturing. But some companies, like battery-maker Johnson Controls, say that because of potential fetal health risks, no fertile women need apply. Should the Supreme Court let that pol
The Greening of the Tax System
Would an environmentalist kill two birds with one stone? Not ordinarily. But taxes on pollution and waste can discourage environmentally harmful activities and produce revenues for environmentally beneficial programs.
The Conservative Crackup
Conservative intellectuals are now facing some of their toughest adversaries ever—each other.
Beyond the Guns of August
At this writing, American and Iraqi forces still face each other warily across the Saudi sands. Sooner or later, Iraq will likely have to reverse course. But beyond the question of how and when the immediate military crisis will be resolved, the Iraqi annexation of Kuwait has given momentum to the development of a post-Cold […]
Choice Ironies: Open Enrollment in Minnesota
Supporters and critics of school choice throughout the nation have predicted a big shock to the educational system if parents were given a say in selecting their children’s schools. Minnesota’s experience with school choice, the first statewide progr
Remaking Regulation
Regulation of the air, the water, and the workplace has made things much better. But we could achieve even better results by regulating with incentives.
Blackboard Jingle
It seems as if every conference I attend on the subject of American competitiveness (and there are many — the competitiveness industry is surely one of America’s most competitive) begins or ends with a speech by a prominent chief executive of a large American corporation about business’s stake in improving the quality of the American […]
The Growth Puzzle
Here are two books with drastically different stories about growth and productivity in the American economy. The more persuasive of the two hasn’t got the attention it deserves.


