Let’s Expect Better

Susan Pendergrass on Nov 5, 2025

State and Local Government

St. Louis skyline, St. Louis policy, subsidies, economic development policy>

St. Louis Needs to Stop Dating and Settle Down

I’ve often argued that cities need to have more self-respect—especially when it comes to dealing with sports teams. We love […]

Hospital exam room, Medicaid, Medicaid audit, Missouri Medicaid program, Missouri Budget, OBBB>

Checking Medicaid’s Pulse

Are dead people on Missouri’s Medicaid program? Shockingly, the answer appears to be yes. Last month, the Missouri State Auditor’s […]

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right

A proposed bill in St. Louis County would mandate the imposition of several burdensome regulations on many more projects and […]

Honoring Our Veterans: Thank You for Your Service

Thank you to all who have served.

School building, MOScholars, school choice>

Two Missouri Public School Districts Opt into MOScholars

Two public school districts—Hallsville R-IV and Atlanta C-3—are the first districts in Missouri to participate in MOScholars. MOScholars is Missouri’s […]

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Building construction, housing costs, housing regulation, Kansas City affordability>

Want Cheaper Housing? Create More Units, Not More Rules

Recent data from The Wall Street Journal suggest that renters across the country—including in Kansas City—are gaining leverage. Rents are […]

The Long Fight for Educational Freedom with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls

Learn more about the book here: www.cato.org/books/fighting-freedom-learn Susan Pendergrass speaks with James Shuls, fellow at the Show-Me Institute and head of […]

Teacher in classroom, improving teacher quality, Tennessee TEAM, teacher evaluation>

Improving Teacher Quality to Improve Reading Quality

In my recent report, An Expedition to Improve Student Reading, I described Missouri’s falling reading scores and potential policy solutions. […]

Empty classroom, declining fertility, declining school attendance, school funding, public school financing>

Are Missouri’s Public Schools Ready for Declining Enrollment?

The fertility rate—the average number of children a woman will have over her lifetime—has been falling steadily in the United […]

St. Louis City, downtown St. Louis, urban growth, city growth, subsidies, regulatory policy>

State and Local Government

What’s a City to Do?

My colleagues and I at the Show-Me Institute have for years counseled local and state leaders against a whole host […]

Exterior of school building, MOScholars program, ESAs, private school vouchers>

MOScholars Scholarships Are in High Demand

The Missouri Legislature approved $50 million in public funding for the MOScholars program during the 2025 legislative session, and the […]

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