Oklahoma’s Roads Compared to Other States: Road Performance Data
Oklahoma’s Roads Compared to Other States:Road Performance DataAuthors Brad Galbraith and Byron SchlomachAbstract This paper looks at statistics regarding Oklahoma's road network, ranking them in comparison to the other 50 states. It finds Oklahoma spends relatively...
Attorney Licensing in Oklahoma
Attorney Licensing in OklahomaAuthor Mike DavisAbstract This paper evaluates Oklahoma's attorney licensing requirements and concludes that the public interest justification is not sufficient to necessitate such licensing, nor does licensing mitigate the risks...
A Primer for Understanding Oklahoma’s School Funding System – 2nd Edition
A Primer for Understanding Oklahoma’s School Funding System - 2nd EditionAuthor Byron Schlomach Abstract This paper is an extensive revision of a paper published in 2015 that explains Oklahoma’s school formula funding system. It has been rewritten to provide a more...
Independent, Principled
State Policy
We Regret to Say, Goodbye
I came here almost 7 years ago, driving in on I-40 from Arizona in my 1965 vintage motorhome. It was quite the adventure to be here when the long drought was broken. Having grown up near Wichita...
Why the “Fear” of School Choice in Rural School Districts?
Throughout decades of advocacy for school choice, a major impediment has been rural legislators. Republicans and Democrats alike, they are led to believe by the superintendents of rural school...
THE God’s Honest Truth: We Don’t Elect Dictators
Vice President Kamala Harris was recently asked by the host of “Tha God’s Honest Truth” (not surprisingly for Comedy Central, a blasphemous show name since the host often deals in falsehood)...
Our Story
The 1889 Institute is named for the first land run in Oklahoma. On April 22, 1889, pioneers gathered at a starting line and raced to claim tracts of land from the U.S. government for the price of staying on the
land for five years. The land run typifies the American ideal of opportunity – readily available to anyone with the personal initiative to take it, but without expecting equal results. Regardless of status, education, or station, no participant in a land run had an official advantage. In this way, the land run illustrates 1889 Institute’s commitment to fighting privilege granted by government, and expanding opportunity where government has intruded excessively.
Who We Are
The 1889 Institute is an independent group of scholars dedicated to making Oklahoma the best it can be. We are not affiliated with a political party, do not receive any money from any government entity, and do not engage in grassroots advocacy.
What We Do
The 1889 Institute analyzes and develops state public policy for the state of Oklahoma based on principles of limited and responsible government, free enterprise, and a robust civil society. We disseminate analyses and recommendations to policymakers and the general public.