Benchmark Blog

Feeding the world

Every June and July Ukraine starts harvesting winter wheat. The war with Russia may complicate things this year.

Farming out work

Farming is starting to look more like a Star Wars than Little House on the Prairie as they start to implement drones and more technology.

State capacity eats interest rates for lunch

If you want gleaming, modern infrastructure worthy of the richest country on the planet, don’t focus on interest rates. Build state capacity.

Total blackout

October 4, 2021, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were down for almost six hours. What did people do? Will Rinehart dives into the data.

Immigration as one tool to fight inflation

You think inflation is making us grumpy now? Just wait until we start running out of chocolate. Josh Smith explains in this blog post.

Upgrading the Refugee Resettlement System

Former undergraduate research fellow Rachel Idso explains the US refugee resettlement program is like a paddleboard that has lost its keel.

Trends in Teenage Suicide, Self-Harm, and the Connection to Social Media

The Problems of Teen Suicide and Self-Harm Predate Social Media

Social media has been blamed for increased teen suicide and self-harm. Taylor Barkley shows it's more complicated than it is being portrayed.

Barrier and Bridge in Immigration Reform

Narrative

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. What has driven political hostility toward immigration and how can we change it?

Our very own Project Hail Mary

With the fate of the world at stake, Project Hail Mary shows Earthlings how to innovate to save the planet. What lessons about working together and working quickly can we learn to not only address climate change but also cooperate with other life-forms in the universe?

FCC broadband data is biased

In this post, Will Rinehart uses an economic model to estimate the real extent of broadband availability in the US.

Why Immigration Policy Should Be Culture-Sensitive

David Miller makes the case that the higher the rate of immigration, the more pro-active integration policy needs to be in this blog post.

Going the last mile to reduce transportation emissions

How can we make delivery more eco-friendly? Mitchell Pound discusses some potential solutions in this blog post.

The environment needs more people, not fewer

On Earth Day, Josh Smith and Jennifer Morales discuss how more people, not fewer, can help in the fight against climate change.

The answer isn’t degrowth. The answer is abundance.

On Earth Day, Will Rinehart reminds us that: The only way to make Earth a better place is by joining abundance and ingenuity.

Vetocracy, the costs of vetos and inaction

An ongoing list of how veto points have slowed development, transportation projects, housing, and people trying to start a business.

On immigration enforcement and immigrant assimilation

Immigration enforcement has been rising at an unprecedented rate. Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes discusses the fallout and how to change our assimilation approach.

Energy abundance must be part of the strategy for countering Russia

Among the many causes of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one that stands out is Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. Eli Dourado explains.

Perfection getting in the way of progress

When addressing pollution, we can’t allow environmental perfection to get in the way of environmental progress. Joe Davis explains.

No regrets

Josh Smith makes the case for why the US should grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Ukraine refugees after the Russian invasion.

The Facebook stock drop and the price of privacy

In February 2022, Facebook (now Meta) stock dropped almost 30%, Will Rinehart explains why that happened and the policy implications from it.

Web3’s killer app is human rights

Senior research fellow Eli Dourado discusses some of the features and strengths of Web3 in this blog post.

How will the states spend billions of dollars on broadband in 2022?

How will the states spend billions of dollars on broadband in 2022? Sarah Oh of the Technology Policy Institute answers in a blog post.

Connecting islands of conservation

Establishing urban green spaces and a nationwide wildlife corridor system would help conservation efforts of wildlife and natural habitats.

Public opinion on immigration in a nation of immigrants

How has public opinion shifted over the years on immigration? Matthew Wright and Morris Levy explain in this blog post.

Why immigration policy needs more enlightened nationalism

What is enlightened nationalism and why should it be at the forefront of immigration conversations? Alexander Kustov explains in this blog.

The promise of rural broadband

Brian Whitacre’s essay on rural broadband is the second in a series on broadband. He discusses the effect on rural areas.

How universities can enable more immigrant-started companies

What are GEIR programs and why should every U.S. university have one? David Jung and Josh Smith explain in this blog post.

Labor shortages in broadband are likely to slow deployment

In the infrastructure bill, over $60 billion goes to expanding broadband. Doug Dawson explains why labor shortages could slow down deployment.

How much will each state receive in broadband funding from the $1T infrastructure bill?

In the infrastructure bill passed, $42.45 billion, is headed to the states for broadband projects. About how much will each state get?

Retraining for Green Initiatives

President Biden has set a goal of carbon-free energy production in the U.S. by 2035. What does that mean for certain energy producers?