Studies
Blog
The Gordon Chang Report–In China’s ‘Intriguing Period,’ Xi Jinping Could Be Deposed
READ THE PDF In China’s ‘Intriguing Period,’ Xi Jinping Could Be Deposed Xi Jinping, often called China’s “all-powerful” leader, has recently lost substantial influence over the Chinese regime. Some analysts even believe that in the next few months Xi will be formally removed from his three positions: Communist Party general ...
Blog
Spending Watch
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises Wayne Winegarden July 2025 Another fiscal year, another lost opportunity. In a June 2025 Spending Watch analysis, I lamented that Newsom was relying on gimmicks to close the current $12 billion budget deficit. The final budget the governor and legislative ...
Blog
India, China, and Pakistan: The Big War is Coming
READ THE PDF India, China, and Pakistan: The Big War is Coming “Communist China will never leave democratic India alone,” says Maura Moynihan, who as the daughter of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan lived in India when he was ambassador there in the 1970s. “The Chinese are afraid of the ...
Health Care
New Study: Medicare’s Price Controls Are Fueling America’s Growing Doctor Shortage
The Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Medical Economics and Innovation today released a new issue brief warning that continued federal underpayment of doctors is fueling a looming healthcare crisis by accelerating the nation’s physician shortage and undermining access to care. Written by PRI senior fellow in business and economics and ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Blog
Spending Watch
AB 4: A Bad Idea That Costs Too Much
AB 4: A Bad Idea That Costs Too Much Wayne Winegarden and Nikhil Agarwal May 2025 As we noted in an earlier Spending Watch piece, growing economic volatility will likely cause revenue growth to be much weaker than expected for the upcoming FY2025-26 budget. It is, consequently, fiscally irresponsible for ...
Blog
China Is Preparing to Go to War in Space
READ THE PDF China Is Preparing to Go to War in Space On April 24, a Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China and carried the three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 mission to the Tiangong space station. There, they replaced the Shenzhou-19 ...
California
New Study Reveals Soaring Costs of California’s Green Energy Transition
As the US marks Earth Day, a new study released today by the Pacific Research Institute, a nonpartisan, California-based, free-market think tank, reveals the staggering costs California consumers and businesses will incur as the state pursues its aggressive green energy mandates. The paper, “The Cost of Going Green,” provides a ...
Blog
Spending Watch
The May Revision Should Assume A Weaker Fiscal Position for FY2025-26
The May Revision Should Assume A Weaker Fiscal Position for FY2025-26 Wayne Winegarden April 2025 The recently enacted tariffs are significant tax increases on consumption and production, as I discussed in a February 2025 PRI Issue Brief. These tariffs will increase costs for consumers and reduce profits for businesses both ...
The Gordon Chang Report–In China’s ‘Intriguing Period,’ Xi Jinping Could Be Deposed
READ THE PDF In China’s ‘Intriguing Period,’ Xi Jinping Could Be Deposed Xi Jinping, often called China’s “all-powerful” leader, has recently lost substantial influence over the Chinese regime. Some analysts even believe that in the next few months Xi will be formally removed from his three positions: Communist Party general ...
Spending Watch
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises Wayne Winegarden July 2025 Another fiscal year, another lost opportunity. In a June 2025 Spending Watch analysis, I lamented that Newsom was relying on gimmicks to close the current $12 billion budget deficit. The final budget the governor and legislative ...
India, China, and Pakistan: The Big War is Coming
READ THE PDF India, China, and Pakistan: The Big War is Coming “Communist China will never leave democratic India alone,” says Maura Moynihan, who as the daughter of the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan lived in India when he was ambassador there in the 1970s. “The Chinese are afraid of the ...
New Study: Medicare’s Price Controls Are Fueling America’s Growing Doctor Shortage
The Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Medical Economics and Innovation today released a new issue brief warning that continued federal underpayment of doctors is fueling a looming healthcare crisis by accelerating the nation’s physician shortage and undermining access to care. Written by PRI senior fellow in business and economics and ...
Spending Watch
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Spending Watch
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Spending Watch
AB 4: A Bad Idea That Costs Too Much
AB 4: A Bad Idea That Costs Too Much Wayne Winegarden and Nikhil Agarwal May 2025 As we noted in an earlier Spending Watch piece, growing economic volatility will likely cause revenue growth to be much weaker than expected for the upcoming FY2025-26 budget. It is, consequently, fiscally irresponsible for ...
China Is Preparing to Go to War in Space
READ THE PDF China Is Preparing to Go to War in Space On April 24, a Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China and carried the three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 mission to the Tiangong space station. There, they replaced the Shenzhou-19 ...
New Study Reveals Soaring Costs of California’s Green Energy Transition
As the US marks Earth Day, a new study released today by the Pacific Research Institute, a nonpartisan, California-based, free-market think tank, reveals the staggering costs California consumers and businesses will incur as the state pursues its aggressive green energy mandates. The paper, “The Cost of Going Green,” provides a ...
Spending Watch
The May Revision Should Assume A Weaker Fiscal Position for FY2025-26
The May Revision Should Assume A Weaker Fiscal Position for FY2025-26 Wayne Winegarden April 2025 The recently enacted tariffs are significant tax increases on consumption and production, as I discussed in a February 2025 PRI Issue Brief. These tariffs will increase costs for consumers and reduce profits for businesses both ...
