Issues
Public policy is too important to be left just to the experts.
PRI’s work encompasses countless studies, commentary, books, podcasts, blog posts, and events surrounding our mission to promote the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility. Our areas of research include health care, education, environment, innovation, California reform, and business economics. Explore our topics below.

Health Care
Most Recent Post:
Banning mRNA vaccines would stop emerging cancer treatments
Sally C. Pipes
April 29, 2025
Several states have effectively declared war on medical progress. Lawmakers in Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Texas and Kentucky introduced bills that would ban or restrict vaccines that use messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology — despite its immense potential for treating and even preventing some of the ...
Most Recent Post:
Newsom’s Diaper Plan Stinks
Matthew Fleming
April 25, 2025
Why a new program when the old one is working ok? The state argues that there are gaps in the existing program, which targets low-income parents. Instead of simply filling the gaps, the state wants to impose some elaborate scheme that is akin to killing ...

California Reform
Most Recent Post:
No way to run a homeless program
Kerry Jackson
April 29, 2025
Last year’s count of the homeless population in both Los Angeles County and City showed a slight decrease, which is a small measure of progress. But the findings of recent audit of city-funded homelessness assistance programs suggests changes are needed in the local response if ...

Education
Most Recent Post:
America’s Math Collapse: Harvard Institutes Remedial Math
Lance Izumi
April 14, 2025
America’s amazing technological achievements, such as SpaceX’s recent rescue of stranded astronauts, mask the death spiral of math learning in the U.S., which has reached an ignominious low with Harvard’s decision to offer remedial math. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam, ...

Environment
Most Recent Post:
PRI’s Earth Week Special – What is the Cost of Going Green?
Pacific Research Institute
April 22, 2025
This week, we feature a special recording of our live webinar featuring PRI scholars and policy experts exploring key green topics being debated and discussed in Washington, DC and in the states – from Cap and Trade and gas and carbon taxes to green appliance ...
Business & Economics
Newsom’s Diaper Plan Stinks
Matthew Fleming
April 25, 2025
Spending Watch
The May Revision Should Assume A Weaker Fiscal Position for FY2025-26
Wayne Winegarden
April 15, 2025
Africa, Unchained From China
Gordon Chang
April 7, 2025