Featured Video Archive
The Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy
Former Mackinac Center for Public Policy President Lawrence W. Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, presents the keynote address at the Georgia Legislative Policy Forum. … more
Crony Chronicles: Miracle on Wall Street
Our government shouldn't make us "donate" billions in corporate welfare to businesses each year. … more
Michigan Rally Against Right-to-Work Legislation
Teachers, activists and legislative leaders at a rally against right-to-work legislation. Teachers talk about taking the day off school to protest while legislators and social activists speak to the crowd.
The bill was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor. … more
The Voices of Right-to-Work
Michigan union members talk about why they support a right-to-work law. Their reasons are diverse, reflecting economic concerns as well as issues regarding freedom of association. … more
What Is Right-to-Work?
In this video, the Mackinac Center's Anne Schieber explains the significance of a right-to-work law should one be passed in Michigan. The value of a right-to-work law is that an employee wouldn't be fired for refusing to financially support a union that chooses to represent them. … more
Forced Unionization Hurts Families
This is the story of how the Haynes family in Detroit, MI faced off with government unions after being forced to pay union dues. The Haynes family is like many other families all over the country who are working to take care of handicapped family members only to have unions take money from their paycheck with no benefit to them or their loved ones. … more
The Pilgrims and Property Rights: How our ancestors got fat & happy
The Pilgrims founded their colony at Plymouth Plantation in December 1620 and promptly started dying off in droves. … more
In Good Conscience
John Kennedy, CEO of Autocam (Grand Rapids, MI), is one of the brave business owners fighting back against the HHS Mandate. As a Catholic, the things mandated to be covered within the health care plans that John provides his associates are contrary to John's deeply held religious beliefs. So John, together with CatholicVote, is fighting back.
On Monday, October 8th, 2012, John Kennedy, through the CatholicVote.org Legal Defense Fund, filed suit against the Department of Health and Human Services, and its Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (a Catholic). The purpose of the suit is to compel the court to strike down the mandate as unconstitutional. … more
Liberty and Equality vs. Coercion and Egalitarianism
In this archival Free To Choose Network footage, Milton Friedman takes Q & A at Stanford University. The young man's questions get to the heart of tension between the values of liberty and equality -- a tension that is still with us. Friedman dissolves egalitarianism by pointing out a simple fact: wealth redistribution creates state power elites, not equality. And the fact of coercion remains. … more
'Protect Working Families' Lists Proposal 2 Business Supporters Without Their Knowledge
Proponents of changing the state constitution to enshrine collective bargaining and override state laws have repeatedly claimed that its group is supported by "1,000 small businesses." … more
Union Member Says Proposal 2 Is An 'Over-reaching Power Grab'
Terry Bowman is UAW Ford worker and founder of Union Conservatives. He says Proposal 2 will negatively affect Michigan's job market … more
Proposal 4 Ads: Fact or Fiction?
Are the ads in favor of Proposal 4 (2012) telling the truth? The Mackinac Center for Public Policy analyzes these claims with Senior Legal Analyst Patrick Wright. … more
What Would Proposal 4 Do?
A one-minute video, with the Mackinac Center's Senior Investigative Analyst Anne Schieber, describing the effects of Proposal 4 (2012) should it pass. The so-called "Collective Bargaining" proposal would continue an illegal dues skim from Medicaid checks geared towards in-home caregivers, who are often caring for disabled family members. … more
What Would "25 x 25" Do?
Mackinac Center Investigative Analyst Dan Armstrong breaks down the numbers behind Proposal 3 supporters' claims. … more
Emergency Manager Success Stories in Michigan
Public Act 4 of 2011 was signed into law in March of 2011 and provided the state with the necessary tools to ensure the protection of each citizen's health, safety, and welfare. While PA 4, and its predecessor Acts, have been criticized at times, it is important to recognize positive changes Emergency Managers have made in addressing local government financial emergencies. … more
Glossop Family Caregiver Wants Out of SEIU
Steven Glossop moved in with his mother after she suffered a stroke while recovering from a heart attack. He now takes care of her on a daily basis. The former Teamster says the forced unionization of home-based caregivers is wrong and that he gets nothing from the SEIU. He wants out. … more
What Would 'Protect Our Jobs' Do?
Mackinac Center Investigative Analyst Dan Armstrong explains what the "Protect Our Jobs Amendment" would mean for Michigan residents. Rather than protect middle-class job growth for many Michigan residents, the ballot initiative would protect the 3 percent that are government employees and undermine legislative authority in favor of union bosses. … more
Honey, You Didn't Build That
Explaining the debate over "you didn't build that" so easily, a child could understand. … more
The Greatest Man You’ve Never Heard Of: Norman Borlaug, An American Hero
Norman Borlaug has been called the greatest human being of the 21st Century - yet he is scarcely known in his own country. Borlaug is the father of the "Green Revolution" and spent his life teaching poor nations modern agricultural techniques - saving an estimated 1 billion lives along the way.
Read more by clicking here: The "Greatest Man You’ve Never Heard Of: Norman Borlaug, An American Hero" … more
School District Imposes Taxation Without Representation
When school begins this week, Oceana County property owners will be paying more in taxes thanks to a school district merger that was approved without a public vote.
A few weeks after school ended in June, board members from the Mason-Lake Intermediate School District and the Oceana ISD agreed to a merger. Taxpayers in Oceana will now have to pay the higher millage rate assessed in Mason-Lake.
According to the Oceana County treasurer, the higher millage will cost Oceana County property owners an extra $1.02 million a year, or $150 for every $100,000 in taxable value. … more
Who pays the most for minimum wage?
On July 24, 2012, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) rallied to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.55 an hour. In Michigan, there is currently an effort to raise the state's minimum wage to $10 an hour by 2015. It would be the highest in the country. The Mackinac Center's Director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative, Michael LaFaive, explains why raising the minimum wage would hurt employees and businesses. … more
My American Experience
LIBRE's Executive Director, Daniel Garza, tells of his American Experience as a first generation American - his story includes hardships, perseverance, family cohesion, hard work, and prosperity achieved in a free country that allows each of us to dictate our destiny. … more
Gov. Christie: Please Don't Send Me Any More Money To Hire More Public Employees
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he doesn't want the federal government sending more money to the states for a variety of reasons. … more
The Best of Milton Friedman
On the 100th anniversary of the birth of famed free-market economist Milton Friedman, here he is at his best. … more
City Shuts Down Teen's Hot Dog Vendor Cart
In Holland, Mich., a 13-year-old entrepreneur thought he would be able to sell hot dogs and financially help his family with the purchase of a food cart. Unfortunately, city zoning officials have shut down his business, based on an ordinance that prohibits competition to brick-and-mortar restaurants from mobile food vendors. The Mackinac Center's own Anne Schieber investigates. … more
Public Pensions — Lemons, Leaky Basements and a Losing Bet
Public pensions sound dull and complex. The failure to manage them properly, however, can lead to massive debt, fiscal insolvency and a weakened economy.
In Michigan, the public school retirement program is underfunded by $22.4 billion. As elected officials debate the best way to eliminate this ongoing liability, the Mackinac Center’s Dan Armstrong explains the issue … more
Milton Friedman 1979
Friedman shows why he is unsurpassed in modern times in defending liberty. He cheerfully decapitates the ideas of a government-controlled economy, over a wide range of examples. … more
We the People: Rule of Law and Liberty
Business men and women today are faced with looming uncertainties about the regulations and taxes the government will come out with tomorrow. Without a set of laws that limit the influence of government, the rules and institutions that we live by are left to the whims of the powerful or influential.
The Founders understood this and integrated institutions such as the separation of powers, federalism, and the Bill of Rights into our framework. The Constitution is the protector of the rule of law, but it has come under attack many times in the last century.
To protect the Constitution, we must first understand the Constitution … more
Economic Freedom in 60 Seconds
How do you explain the incredible power of economic freedom in 60 seconds? This video does just that, showing just how vital economic freedom is to our quality of life. … more
States Should Flatly Reject ObamaCare Exchanges
States that opt to create an exchange can expect to pay anywhere from $10 million to $100 million per year to run it. But if states refuse, Obamacare says the federal government must pay to create one. Why should states pay for something that the federal government is giving away? … more
Green Jobs: What's In A Name?
Do you know what the Obama Administration considers a "green job"? Do you know what "green jobs" even means? The top Department of Labor statistician is questioned by Congress. … more
Mayor Barrett's concession: What you might not have heard on TV
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett concedes to Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin's first ever recall election of a governor. Some in the audience were not happy, believing the concession was too early. Warning: Offensive language … more
Pro-Walker Marine Vet Gets in the Mix at Dem Rally
Pro-Walker Marine veteren getting in the mix at the Democratic rally with Bill Clinton for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on June 1, 2012. Click here for more. … more
Should You Need the Government's Permission to Work?
License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing is the first national study to measure how burdensome occupational licensing laws are for lower-income workers and aspiring entrepreneurs.
The report documents the license requirements for 102 low- and moderate-income occupations—such as barber, massage therapist and preschool teacher—across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It finds that occupational licensing is not only widespread, but also overly burdensome and frequently irrational. … more
Ecorse: Regaining Control
Ecorse, in the shadow of Detroit, has struggled since 1986 with corrupt public officials and overspending. In 2009, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm elected Joyce Parker as Ecorse city manager. By privatizing most services, restructuring the city's debt and renegotiating union contracts where she could, Ecorse has gone from spending $5 million more a year than it took in to achieving solvency in the face of bankruptcy. "She has been a savior for our city," says city resident William Holmes. … more
Milton Friedman on Free Trade and the Steel Industry
The late economist argues for international free trade. … more
Flipped Classrooms Underline Student Learning
Technology enables schools to rethink the way that they deliver instruction to students, and a recent phenomenon that's catching on is called "flipping the classroom." It works by having students receive direct instruction — often via online videos — outside of the classroom, enabling teachers to devote more time to collaboration, project-based learning, developing critical thinking skills and mentoring students individually. … more
Thomas Sowell - Welfare
Economist Thomas Sowell debates the dynamics of welfare with Pennsylvania Secretary of Welfare, Helen O'Banion (1980) in a discussion that would prove prophetic. … more
The Problem With Allen Park
Allen Park went "all in" on Michigan's film subsidy program. When the deal collapsed, the mid-sized city got stuck with the bill. Adding in skyrocketing public employee legacy costs leaves a recipe for fiscal disaster.
For more information, see reporter Anne Schieber's article at www.MichCapCon.com/16734. … more
The Social Security Myth
Using Social Security as his prime example, Milton Friedman explores the idea that the major expansions in government resulted from popular demand. In a speech delivered more than 30 years ago, he directly relates this dynamic to today's health care debate. … more
Thomas Sowell Dismantles Egalitarianism
In this clip from the 1980 special 'Free To Choose,' socialist Frances Fox Piven tangles with economist Thomas Sowell. Sowell discusses the "process" versus aspiration - concluding that whatever the purported social goals of egalitarianism, liberty suffers.
… more
John Stossel's Illegal Everything
The producer of Stupid in America, John Stossel, broadcasts another outstanding documentary. "Illegal Everything" shows how many seemingly commonsense activities are (or may soon be) illegal - including lemonade stands, raw milk, fast food, recording police, and more. … more
Milton Friedman - Freedom vs. Fairness
Dr. Friedman discusses why freedom and fairness sometimes conflict; and how the free market solves this problem. … more
U-M Graduate Students Blue Over Unionization
Are graduate student research assistants at a public university students. ... or government employees? Several hundred GSRAs, many represented by the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, U-M deans, faculty and the president object to this movement to unionize. A bill to clarify that students are students and not entitled to unionize awaits the governor's signature. … more
Stealth-Unionization Scheme Bleeds Medicaid
Robert and Patricia Haynes of Macomb Township take care of their adult children — Melissa, 34, and Kevin, 30 — who suffer from hypertonic cerebral palsy and function at the level of six-month-olds. Now, some of the Medicaid assistance that is supposed to go to the Haynes family is being diverted to the coffers of the Service Employee International Union. … more
Breitbart's Legacy
"I want the left to know they screwed with the wrong guy." … more
The Vote Pump
Bill Whittle explains the unsustainable problem of government. "To spend $10, our government taxes for $6 and borrows $4. And when they actually spend that $10, $4 buys the actual government and $6 goes to people to buy votes with." … more
Top 3 Myths About the Great Depression and the New Deal
Historian Stephen Davies names three persistent myths about the Great Depression. Myth #1: Herbert Hoover was a laissez-faire president, and it was his lack of action that lead to an economic collapse. Myth #2: The New Deal ended the Great Depression. Myth #3: World War II ended the Great Depression. … more
Home Health Care Forced Unionization
Vincent Vernuccio explains the union's latest method of forcing home healthcare and daycare workers into their unions. This story was broken in Michigan by Michigan Capitol Confidential. For more information, click here. … more
Want To Save Endangered Species? Hunt Them!
(CBS News) -- The scimitar horned oryx . . . the addax . . . the dama gazelle - three elegant desert antelope that you'd hope to see on a journey through Africa, except that their numbers are dwindling there. Which is why Lara Logan went to Texas -- yes, Texas. There, on large grassland ranches, some exotic species that are endangered in the wild have been brought back in large numbers. But there's a catch: a percentage of the herd is hunted every year by hunters who pay big money for a big catch. The ranchers say this limited "culling" gives them the money they need to care for the animals and conserve the species. But animal rights activists don't buy that argument, claiming the hunts are "canned" and that hunting is wholly inconsistent with conservancy. … more
Public School Official Says Parents Don't "Necessarily" Know What School Is Best For Their Children
Debbie Squires of the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association speaks to the House Education Committee.
"Educators go through education for a reason. They are the people who know best about how to serve children. That is not necessarily true about an individual resident. Not saying that they don't want the best for their children, but they may not know what actually is best from an education standpoint." … more
Landmark Right-to-Work Bill Passes Indiana House
On Jan. 25, 2012, the Indiana House passed a right-to-work bill by a safe margin. Now signed by Gov. Daniels, this legislation makes Indiana the 23rd state to make it illegal to require a worker to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Here is the scene from when the bill was passed, as well as responses from the House leadership, union protestors and everyday Indiana citizens. … more
Milton Friedman - School Choice
January 23-29, 2012 was 'School Choice Week'. Professor Friedman spells out his recipe for fixing America's educational system. … more
Reason TV: What We Saw - National School Choice Week Kick-Off, New Orleans
January 23-29, 2012 is School Choice Week. "I think we ought to give our children the best we possibly can and I think we're moving in that direction," says renowned political operative James Carville. "Yes, I'm very excited about it." … more
National School Choice Week 2011
January 23-29, 2012 is 'School Choice Week'. The week is a bi-partisan coalition of organizations across the country who continue to push for more educational opportunity. Here are some highlights of National School Choice Week 2011. … more
Indiana Right-to-Work Still Stalled
It was another day at the Indiana State House. Another commemoration on the inside, more noise on the outside. The House can't vote on a bill unless 67 of 100 lawmakers show up to form a quorum. Indiana Democrats didn't show up...again. … more
Indiana GOP Leader Discusses Right-to-Work "Threats," "Propaganda"
Indiana House Democrats failed to show up to a full house session, stalling action of Indiana's Right to Work bill. House Speaker Republican Brian Bosma vows to fine each member failing to show up $1000 a day and will deduct the amount from lawmakers' paychecks. The House was adjourned until Monday at 11:30. One Democrat who spoke on the floor said his party will be there. Democrats want the issue considered in a voter referendum. Republicans say this is simply a delay tactic. … more
A Digital Learning Success Story
In Suttons Bay public schools, they are discovering that online learning is more adaptive, aiding those who struggle and boosting all students. Their program is so effective that other districts are adopting it for their own classrooms. … more
Indiana Lawmakers Discuss Right-to-Work Bill
A Republican says unions will "do anything" they can to stop the bill while a Democratic lawmaker hints that there may be a statewide referendum.
Republican State Sen. Jim Banks and Democratic State Rep. Scott Pelath discuss the right-to-work bill being debated for Indiana.
To see more coverage of this issue, click here. … more
Freedom to Work
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on right-to-work. … more
This video profiles Madison-Carver Academy and Cornerstone Health High School, two public charter schools in the City of Detroit. Both schools make use of blended learning, which allows each student to move at his or her individual pace through coursework.
