Short Circuit: The Government Is Special

Wanna get mad? This week we’ve got you covered. Two cases where the government plays by different rules from the rest of us.

Short Circuit: Guilty Pigs

Can bees “trespass?” Why did the Medieval French put pigs on trial for murder? And does the Queen of England really own all the swans? Joining us are Professors Katy Barnett and Jeremy Gans of the University of Melbourne to discuss their new book “Guilty Pigs: The Weird and Wonderful History of Animal Law.”

NATIONAL SURVEY | February 8, 2022

Barriers to Business

You shouldn’t need a law degree to start the small business of your dreams. But too often, entrepreneurs struggle with local regulatory burdens, finding themselves trapped by high fees, long wait times, and complex paperwork. We analyzed the codes of 20 large to mid-sized cities and mapped out the real-world process of starting five common business types from the entrepreneur’s perspective.

STRATEGIC RESEARCH | February 24, 2022

Too Many Licenses?

Now more American workers than ever must get a license to work. But do we need these new licenses? Independent government reports, known as “sunrise” reviews, suggest the answer is often no. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of state sunrise laws and reviews. We found about 80% declined to recommend a license—and more than half declined to recommend any new regulation at all.