Oklahoma’s Quick Action Closing Fund
Oklahoma’s Quick Action Closing FundAuthor Tyler WilliamsonAbstract This paper uses the five part test developed in Policymaker's Guide to Evaluating Corporate Welfare to evaluate Oklahoma's Quick Action Closing Fund. It finds that the fund is a corporate welfare...
Making Government Work: A Proposed Amendment to State Constitutions
Making Government Work: A Proposed Amendment to State ConstitutionsAuthor Mike DavisAbstract This model amendment would institute requirements for mission statements and measurable goals for state agencies as a remedy to the current size and complexity of the...
Disbarred: A Nationwide Analysis of the Impact of Mandatory Bar Associations on Lawyer Population
Disbarred: A Nationwide Analysis of the Impact of Mandatory Bar Associations on Lawyer PopulationAuthor Tyler WilliamsonAbstract This paper discusses arguments for and against mandatory bar associations. It finds numerous flaws with the mandatory bar model, including...
Independent, Principled
State Policy
Why the Income Tax Is Just Plain Evil
Despite this coming from someone who used to tease about government being the root of all evil just to get a rise out of people, this is not hyperbole. The income tax is evil – truly, seriously...
Commerce: Incentives Hurt Entrepreneurship
[E]conomic growth doesn't come from government spending or planning, but from the heart and soul of entrepreneurs –men and women who are willing to take risks, who brave failure to seek success...
Grand Jury Indicts Itself with Report on Epic Charter Schools
Several months ago, we criticized the multicounty grand jury for wading into public policy rather than sticking to its mission: determining if there are grounds to prosecute someone for a...
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.