News

Here at The Center for Growth and Opportunity, we have a unique way of confronting challenges. Relentless optimism. Bold commitment. Fearless innovation. We want to leave the world a better place than when we got here. Whether it’s our award-winning students, or our world-class researchers, we look to work together to find creative solutions to today’s most pressing issues. We’re committed to turning ideas into action.

Image of Chris Koopman participating in panel

Koopman Participates in Panel on Regulation of Emerging Aerial Tech

Christopher Koopman joined the discussion to consider how lawmakers can best foster innovation while protecting our safety and privacy.

Op-ed: Reexamining presidential power over national monuments

The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives power to presidents over national monuments. Is it time to reexamine the Act?

Op-ed: Improving wildfire policy is good for more than just the environment

The West is burning more this summer than ever before. Across California alone, there are three separate record-breaking fires burning.

Amy Rees Anderson Sponsors New Program for Female Academic Entrepreneurs

For Amy Rees Anderson, academic entrepreneurship is crucial for success in any field.And she knows something about entrepreneurship.

Op-ed: A Texas price-gouging law is backfiring

After Hurricane Harvey, a case of bottled water selling for nearly $43 quickly became the target of social media outrage.

Op-ed: Moratorium on soda taxes puts California on the right track

California recently banned future local soda taxes until 2031 as part of a compromise bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Op-ed: The risk of risk aversion at the Federal Aviation Administration

We're on the cusp of a revolution in aviation, and the next generation will radically change our airspace. But this future is not guaranteed.

Op-ed: Replacements for plastic straws have their own problems

Under a new law passed in California, in July, restaurant employees can face misdemeanor charges for handing out plastic straws to customers.

Op-ed: ESA and Cooperative Conservation in the West

The current ESA framework for creating cooperation between conservation actors should be updated to give species the best chance at thriving.

Op-ed: Conservative Media Skew Story on ‘Dreamer’ Arrests

Unfortunately, these reports lack both context and accuracy. Dreamers are actually less likely to be arrested than U.S. citizens.

Op-ed: How Banning Plastic Straws Could Make Pollution Even Worse

Banning plastic products would hurt small business owners and have little effect on ocean pollution, while costing more in fossil fuels.

Op-ed: How Pork-Barrel Spending Shapes the Ideological Composition of Congress

As evidenced by the news wars and through surveys, American politics has been trending strongly toward greater ideological polarization.

Shughart Discusses Applied Microeconomic Theory and Public Choice on Podcast

William F. Shughart II, Senior Editor at the Center for Growth and Opportunity, is interviewed by Hayek Program scholar Jayme Lemke.

Op-ed: Hydro Projects Get Lost in Red Tape

Logan faces federal barriers to update its aging hydropower project. After six years, the city is finally nearing the Third Dam restoration.

Op-ed: Ineffectiveness of Renewable Portfolio Standards

Renewable portfolio standards may not achieve their environmental ends in a cost-effective manner, writes Josh Smith.

Smith Discusses Renewal Portfolio Standards on Podcast

Josh T. Smith, Research Manager at the Center for Growth and Opportunity, takes part in a discussion on Renewal Portfolio Standards (RPS)

Image of Megan Jenkins participating in public lands panel

Jenkins Participates in Public Lands Discussion

Megan Jenkins joins other panelists from The Heritage Foundation and SUU at a Public Lands Discussion featuring Senator Mike Lee.

Op-ed: Energy Markets Serve National Security Better than Favoritism

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli The Trump administration proposed a policy aimed at helping suffering coal and nuclear power plants by requiring utilities to purchase electricity from these plants. CGO researchers, Camille Harmer and Josh T. Smith, write about the

Op-ed: It’s a new day for daily fantasy sports betting

Weeks after the Supreme Court’s strike down of the prohibition on sports gambling, Delaware has allowed casinos to accept single-game bets.

Op-ed: The High Cost of Solar Mandates

Facing a housing crisis that is putting families on the brink of homelessness, it would seem like California would have one of two options.

Silhouette of individuals in graduation robes throwing their hats

Congratulations to Graduating CGO Student Research Fellows

This May, the Center for Growth and Opportunity celebrated the graduation of 19 student research fellows from Utah State University.

Koopman Discusses Aviation Empowerment Act on Podcast

Christopher Koopman discusses the recently-introduced Aviation Empowerment Act and the future of public policy in the aviation industry.

Koopman Testifies Before Joint Economic Committee

Christopher Koopman, Executive Director at the CGO, testified before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee on May 22, 2018.

Op-ed: Flight-sharing could bring Uber to the skies

Next-generation aviation technologies are poised to radically reshape the American airspace over the next decade.

Op-ed: Despite safety record, Chernobyl haunts nuclear power industry

While Chernobyl was a disaster, the misunderstandings that surround the accident often undermine one of the major benefits of nuclear energy.

Op-ed: Allow the testing of driverless cars on their roads

Koopman and Skees argue that allowing the testing of driverless car technologies will create safer roads for everyone.

Op-ed: Telling Dreamers to ‘get in line’ misses the mark on immigration

Congress must find a solution for Dreamers that provides a clear path to citizenship for them in the country they’ve made their home.

Op-ed: Tariffs and Econ 101

Tariffs have pushed waves of economic uncertainty throughout the financial sector. Stocks tumbled last week.

Koopman Joins Center for Growth and Opportunity

Tech policy scholar to lead strategy and research at The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University LOGAN, Utah — Christopher Koopman, former Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Technology Policy Program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason

Students Present Research on Capitol Hill

Undergraduate Research Fellows from the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University presented research at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, on February 28, 2018. Their presentation was part of the annual event Utah’s Research on