The Wall Street Journal

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

By Josh Bandoch, Lauren Zuar
06/03/2025
Published June 3, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The best path to empowerment and success, especially for poor people, is work. Work allows us to prosper while providing dignity, upward mobility, the means to support ourselves and create value for others. It’s how we become thriving members of our community. Central to this process is our education...

A way out: Bankruptcy authorization would give struggling Illinois municipalities options

By Joe Tabor
02/10/2025
Published Feb. 10, 2025 Even though federal COVID relief funds provided an unexpected windfall, that one-time jolt of cash could leave many Illinois localities even worse off than they were before. That boost in revenue allowed local governments to put off difficult budgeting decisions, and as that revenue dries up, municipalities will have to contend...

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

01/28/2025
Published Jan. 28, 2025 Illinois Policy Institute Center for Poverty Solutions, in partnership with the Archbridge Institute By Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D., head of policy, Illinois Policy Institute and Justin Callais, Ph.D., chief economist, Archbridge Institute EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A low-income person’s ability to move up in society is worse in Illinois than in any other Midwestern...

5 news outlets say voters should reject Amendment 1

By Patrick Andriesen
11/03/2022
The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald and News-Gazette all said voters should say ‘no’ to Amendment 1. They see it as giving government unions power to force higher taxes and weaker laws.

TAGS: Amendment 1

Prominent Chicago Democrat comes out against Amendment 1

By Dylan Sharkey
10/28/2022
Former Democratic Chicago Ald. Michele Smith said she recommends a ‘no’ vote on Amendment 1. She said the Illinois Constitution doesn’t need another restriction to keep state lawmakers from fixing the state.