Archbridge Institute

🚨 The @ArchbridgeInst is launching a new Regulatory Policy Center, led by our VP of Policy Edward Timmons. The Center will bring all of our policy efforts under one roof to examine how regulations affect social mobility and human flourishing. Our focus areas will be: 🚧 Occupational licensing and labor policy 🚸 Childcare regulations 🩺 Healthcare regulations 💡 And emerging technology Ed will be joined by @MeloVitor_ and a team of fellows to conduct original research and outreach that informs policy conversations and communities. 🔗 See today's announcement + our interview with Ed Timmons: archbridgeinstitute.org/the-archbridge…

Sunset provisions set expiration dates on government programs, regulations, or agencies unless lawmakers take action to renew them. When Colorado passed one of the nation’s first comprehensive sunset laws in 1976, reformers believed they had found a powerful tool for accountability. The idea was simple... but research on the effectiveness of sunset laws has been mixed. And by the 1990s, enthusiasm for sunsets had faded. Read more here about policy recommendations that would make sunset laws more effective: archbridgeinstitute.org/the-economic-e…

Happy Easter!

The American Dream isn’t dead — and policy, not just personal effort, can shape who gets ahead. Archbridge Chief Economist Justin Callais breaks down the real drivers of upward mobility, from housing and regulation to mindset, opportunity, and economic growth. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=hOppRF…

Great Substack on the EF-> inequality, poverty, mobility literature. Lots of my work cited here!! (Table below reports results from a paper by @VincentGeloso, Gary Wagner, Alicia Plemmons, and myself

Our @PAHouseGOP @PolicyCmte is working to make childcare more affordable and accessible for PA families. This study is backed up by the provider testimonies we heard at our hearings. We can cut red tape for providers and still have high quality and safe care for our kids.

For every 100 jobs available in New Hampshire, there are only 68 available workers to fill them. This prevents businesses from offering key services and also holds back economic growth in the state. Although many factors are contributing to the shortage, New Hampshire’s stringent occupational licensing restrictions are certainly not helping matters. A new legislative proposal first makes clear that every New Hampshire resident has a right to earn a living in the state, and would give New Hampshire residents the authority to petition state and local agencies if they believe that current regulation infringes on their right to earn a living in the state. Read more about the bill from Archbridge VP of Policy Edward Timmons: archbridgeinstitute.org/hb-1340-positi…

I was interviewed by @BusinessInsider about my work on Gen Z historical nostalgia and what is says about the future young people want to build. A lot of young people are saying the future they want is a future where technology is present and continues to make our lives easier, but also where we are more present, where we're not just passively staring at screens, but actively engaging in the world. businessinsider.com/love-story-gen…

I have some related thoughts! @ArchbridgeInst's Ed Timmons (one of my favorite licensing scholars) and I have a new piece on my substack! You can’t build Nvidia’s 5 layer cake without occupational licensing reform

What were you like in the ‘90s? A recent social media trend driven mainly by Gen Z and Gen Alpha is prompting reflection and a yearning for a different time. “They think there’s something really cool about the pre-digital life — about the analog, more-tactile in-person life — and they’re trying to get in touch with that and find inspiration from it, to find balance in their own digital lives,” says Archbridge's @clayroutledge in an interview with @TODAYshow. Watch the full interview here: today.com/popculture/mus…

Sunset provisions set expiration dates on government programs, regulations, or agencies unless lawmakers take action to renew them. Research shows policymakers need to make that expiration threat real — otherwise, sunset dates become "symbolic deadlines rather than a durable tool for better government." Read more in a brand new policy brief from Archbridge Institute and @InstituteCicero's Ryan Quant, Ph.D.

In this episode of The Empower Podcast, host @grantcallen sits down with Archbridge Institute's @clayroutledge to explore what really makes life meaningful and why that matters for public policy in Mississippi and beyond. Listen to them discuss culture & meaning, AI’s impact on work and community, and more: archbridgeinstitute.org/dr-clay-routle…

Americans are less divided on the economics of human progress and flourishing than we think. Check out this recent article from @clayroutledge @JustinTCallais in the @chicagotribune chicagotribune.com/2026/03/02/opi…

The economic common ground America isn’t talking about: chicagotribune.com/2026/03/02/opi… (via @JustinTCallais of @ArchbridgeInst)

New episode🚨 I sat down with @clayroutledge of the @ArchbridgeInst to talk meaning, work, and why “earned success” matters more than income alone. Watch here: youtu.be/TMZg-he3FZQ?si…

Ready to read the latest stories on the economics, psychology, and culture of human flourishing? Sign up here for our monthly newsletter: archbridgeinstitute.org/subscription

Social mobility is not random—it’s shaped by policy. Archbridge Institute Chief Economist @JustinTCallais discusses what states get right and wrong about opportunity in a recent Let People Prosper podcast with @VanceGinn:

Edward Timmons, the Archridge Institute’s vice president of policy, said New York should find other solutions to bringing down costs instead of using taxpayer dollars to provide free care. nypost.com/2026/02/08/us-…

"Childcare regulations aim to overcome information and measurement problems in the childcare market... However, state and federal regulations can have unintended consequences such as limiting supply, raising prices, and slowing new innovation." reason.com/2026/02/11/bla…

On childcare regulations, we must strike a balance between safety and accessible, affordable care. From @rickyfeir and Edward Timmons: washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4449373…

Americans dramatically overestimate how many people behave badly online and underestimate how many share their desire for a healthier online environment. The good news is that correcting this misperception reduces the unwarranted cynicism we feel toward each other. In this week's Flourishing Friday, I discuss new research on what we get wrong about online toxicity and why it matters for how we see each other. open.substack.com/pub/clayroutle…