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:
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 ...
Most Recent Post:
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 ...
California Reform
Most Recent Post:
California cities may now dodge bullet train destruction
In his May budget revision for fiscal year 2025-26, which began on July 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked $1 billion a year for the next 20 years from the state’s cap-and-trade system toward the rail project. Like the wounded Black Knight in the “Tis but ...
Education
Most Recent Post:
The Disastrous Domino Effect of Social Promotion
Low student scores on national and state reading tests expose the disturbing reality that a lot of children are being promoted from one grade to the next even though they do not have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. Reading is the foundational skill ...
Environment
Most Recent Post:
Bankruptcies in farm country put strain on mental health
Financial stress on farms is often cited as the single biggest stressor for farmers and their families. The 2024 data shows farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent from 2023, a trend that should ring alarm bells not just for lenders. When a farm owner files ...
