Published Research

Featuring research and recommendations from MSPC's policy experts, the second edition examines some of the most pressing issues facing Idaho, Montana, Washington, and the nation, offering practical, fact-based alternatives to government expansion and excessive regulation.

Citizens have a right to elect governors, legislators, presidents, and judges without government-issued warnings about what might happen if those candidates win. Surely we can trust those same citizens to evaluate a tax initiative.

If you distrust government with spending and tax decisions, why would you put politicians at your state capitol in charge of more of it? That's the question at the center of Idaho's current debate over property taxes. There is no statewide property tax in Idaho, but local governments can collect property tax revenue. Property taxes frustrate homeowners for understandable reasons. Paying off your mortgage does not end the annual bill. A rising home value does not put cash in y

His winning paper, “Closing the Age Loophole: How Idaho Should Protect Children from AI Companions,” examines gaps in protections for minors when companies do not determine whether their users are children. Smith recommends privacy-preserving age assurance, safeguards for users who may be minors and an appeals process for adults incorrectly classified as children.

The check engine light for Washington’s business climate is flashing. Lawmakers have passed a series of massive tax increases and regulations that have caused companies in Washington to financially suffer and some leave the state altogether.

Watters challenged attendees to help their fellow citizens resist the growing temptation of socialism and instead embrace the principles of freedom, personal responsibility and economic opportunity.

Now the region’s most anticipated free-market event of the year, the annual fundraiser supports MSPC’s research, education and outreach programs.

Small businesses are an essential part of a strong economy, and in the Mountain West, recent data suggest that the entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana all ranked among the top ten states nationwide for small-business growth.