Minnesota Kids Above Average, But Not as Much as They Used to Be

by | Jan 11, 2018

Ten years ago, Minnesota failed to live up to its reputation for having a well-funded public school system relative to other states, as per pupil public school spending in the Gopher State dropped below the national average. While recent increases in school funding...

Minnesota Revenue & Spending Levels Typical of Other States

by | Jan 5, 2018

While Minnesota ranks fairly high among states in terms of per capita own-source revenue, total revenue, and total spending, these per capita measures are not a reliable way to gauge the relative size of government among states. As noted in the preceding article,...

Tax, Revenue, Spending Rankings in Perspective

by | Dec 29, 2017

Americans love rankings. We rank everything from Division 1 college football teams to states with the worst winters. (Without much trouble, you can probably guess which one Minnesota leads the nation in!) Policy nerds (like me) and politicians often talk about tax...

Medical Billing: A Primer

by | Dec 28, 2017

In preparation for an upcoming article, we’re returning to the Safety Net Series to discuss the incredibly odd world of medical billing. This article will take a quick look at how prices are set, along with how the users of medical care interact with this system. The...