Benchmark Blog

Banking on a brighter conservation future

One of the challenges that Biden has promised to tackle is conservation — committing to protect 30% of America’s land and water by 2030.

Our most overlooked tool for environmental improvement

Meeting our daunting environmental challenges will require more tailored solutions that consider the unique circumstances of time and place.

Crowdsourcing conservation

Agencies need to provide clearer guidance on what regulations apply to crowdsourced projects and embrace partnerships with private groups.

Digital platforms and government actors

The debate over Free Speech on the Internet is a touchy issue. Do you have a First Amendment right to social media, or not?

An in-depth look at the broadband infrastructure bills

Only a small part of the digital divide will actually be solved by making broadband infrastructure available everywhere.

How local policy matters for immigrants

Immigrants should be able to trust the police. But they fear coming forward to report crime or suspicious activity in their neighborhood.

Fixing America’s wildfire problem: a tale in two parts

With decades more of fires headed our way, we have an opportunity to curb their impact immediately by improving the health of our forests.

A Year Online

In the year since remote work arrangements, articles have popped up to declare that this is the “future of work.”

Farmers, dreamers, and a path forward for immigration policy

Reform that clarifies immigration processes will meet the needs of U.S. businesses and reduce illegal immigration.

A 2006 NASA program shows how government can move at the speed of startups

How private space companies revolutionized cargo delivery to the ISS, showing an alternative approach to government procurement.

A cleaner future for energy on federal lands

Pausing new oil and gas development on federal lands is one piece of Biden’s ambitious plan to improve the environment.

Trump’s deplatforming is the Oversight Board’s most dangerous decision

The Board’s move to provide a decision on the Trump deplatforming case poses a risk of eliminating the Board’s “independence” and credibility.

Every state should have a climate resiliency plan

Texas’s crisis is the latest example of the catastrophic effects of failing to plan for increased climate variability.

Reinvigorating communities will take more than broadband

There's a push to make broadband a component of an infrastructure bill. But broadband expansions aren't a cure for sluggish economies.

How platforms broke antitrust analysis

Economists and antitrust scholars have been working on merging insights from the nascent platform literature into antitrust analysis.

America can live up to its promise

The U.S. should live up to its promise to take in the "tired, poor, and huddled masses" by ensuring refugees have a place.

Tech Innovation Inspirations in 2021

"If you think 2021 had a rocky start, rest assured, the future of tech and innovation is bound to bring some brightness into our lives."

It’s time for a new, progressive supply-side economics

We need productivity improvements in the sectors that disproportionately affect the poor, how do we do it? Supply-side economics.

Rules for (Today’s) Radicals: Ostrom’s lessons for the next era of environmental policy

Biden and his team are planning to take bold action to address climate change and other environmental challenges.

30 by 30

The 30 by 30 initiative provides a step toward preserving nature and combating climate change that could attract bipartisan support.

Why are we holding immigrants back?

Occupational licensing makes it difficult for immigrants to navigate earning a license or having their foreign credentials recognized.

Too big tech and the politics of antitrust

The fear of concentrated economic power is the beating heart of antitrust policy in the U.S., and it’s felt on both sides of the aisle.

DeepMind’s protein folding solution — what just happened?

Machine learning has unlocked one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of this century. Learn more on the CGO Benchmark.

Debunking the myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines

Applications were submitted to the FDA for emergency approval, paving the way for the vaccines to be distributed sometime next year.

What you should know about the Google antitrust case

The DOJ’s motivation for bringing a case against Google, the conspicuous gaps in the DOJ’s case, and what to expect.

The biggest no-brainer in all of energy policy

The shale revolution has been a rare bright spot in U.S. economic productivity growth, which has stagnated since the 1970s.

We owe our Halloween traditions to immigrants

The concerns about immigration’s effect on culture are important. Yet far from endangering American culture, immigrants enrich our culture.

The hazards of immigrant detention during a pandemic

Immigrant detention centers across the country are COVID hotspots. ICE hasn't taken a enough action to mitigate risks.

Workers don’t fit into two neat categories

The battle over gig economy workers rages on in California. Reforms allowing for flexibility between workers and employers are sorely needed.

The curious case of Romanian broadband

Taking a clear photo of centuries-old Romanian homes and city centers is difficult because of the wires. They ruin the views.