This paper examines how constitutional principles, court rulings such as Printz v. United States (1997), and programs like Medicaid shape public policy within the federal system. It highlights the role of administrators in interpreting and navigating the policy process, showing how intergovernmental dynamics influence policy design, implementation, and outcomes.

This paper analyzes the role of teachers’ unions in shaping public education through collective bargaining, political influence, and advocacy. It traces the historical development of unionization, the protections unions secured for teachers, and their impact on working conditions, equity, and compensation.

Critics argue unions raise costs, protect poor performance, and limit administrative flexibility, while supporters highlight how unions advocate for fair treatment, additional classroom resources, and improved student learning conditions.

This policy memo addresses the pressing issue of unfunded state and local public pension liabilities, which exceed $1.37 trillion in the U.S. It outlines the causes of underfunding, including overly optimistic discount rate assumptions, political underfunding during budget cycles, demographic shifts, and volatile investment returns. The memo evaluates current approaches such as maintaining high discount rates, issuing pension obligation bonds, and adjusting COLAs, but concludes that these methods are insufficient or politically risky.