All Research
Op-Ed
Thirty Years Later, Welfare Reform Is Still a Model That Works
The real lesson of the 1996 law remains that there is a better way for Americans in need, if only today’s lawmakers match their forebears in choosing it.
Article
The American Dream Lives in Suburbia
Suburbia has long been a favorite target for cultural critics. Readers of a certain age…
Blog
Rethinking Predatory Student Lending
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act ended the Grad PLUS loan program for new borrowers and…
Working Paper
Paying for Payment Errors: State Incentives and Caseload Responses to SNAP Cost Sharing
Abstract Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) caseloads declined by 10% nationally from June 2025 to…
Report
Comment on CMS-2454-IFC: Clarifying “Household” for the SNAP Exclusion from the Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement
Comment on Interim Final Rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of…
Commentary
SNAP’s New Cost Share Requirement Is a Blunt, But Necessary Tool
Last month, the US Department of Agriculture released the most recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…
Commentary
Lessons from the 1996 Welfare Reform Law Approaching Its 30th Anniversary
The actual effects of the law—especially in promoting more work and earnings and less poverty and welfare dependence—exceeded what even some of the law’s strongest advocates anticipated.
Op-Ed
The Hidden Factor in Student Success: Family Structure
A student’s success can rise or fall on the structure and stability of his family more than by his skin color or his family’s bank account.
Report
Family Structure, a Key Factor Hidden in Plain Sight: The Case for Federal Reporting in Education
The government often leaves out a critical factor in its public reporting to help us understand what drives child outcomes in student learning, health, and economic security: family structure.
Article
There’s a Lot of Talk About “Career Readiness.” Have We Thought It Through?
After a decadelong hiatus, it feels like “school reform” has gained new momentum (for better…
Blog
Student Loan Policy Uncertainty Has Real Costs
To put it mildly, opinions varied on whether the Biden administration’s student loan policies—namely its…
Report
The End of the Food Security Supplement in the Current Population Survey: Next Steps
Abstract Since 1996, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published an annual report on…