WISCONSIN (MacIver Institute) -- We are back for another week of the MacIver Monday Newsletter. This week's newsletter is jam packed with critical research on Wisconsin's economy, ways to drive down health care costs and much, much more. Let's get to it.
Spotlight
Accounting for Growth in Wisconsin: Performance and Prospects
Between 1997 and 2014, Wisconsin's economy kept pace with the rest of the United States. Since then, however, per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Wisconsin grew more slowly than for the United States as a whole. This was the worst record among the 50 states.
MacIver's Michael Lucas partnered with John Phelan of the Center of the American Experiment to analyze this economic failure and propose solutions to turning the state around. This is an incredibly important report that leaders in government and business should study to help Wisconsin get the most out of its people and natural resources.
Deep Dive
MacIver Solves: Wisconsin's Health Care Cost Crisis
While Republicans and Democrats agree very little on the way health care policy should look in the United States, there is one undisputed fact: health care in America is far too expensive and is in need of meaningful reform.
MacIver's Courtney Graves does an in depth analysis of the causes of Wisconsin's high health care costs and proposes solutions to actually bring down costs. Give it a read -- if we're lucky, some of these reforms may be coming to our state soon.
We are off to a fast start in 2026 and we have A LOT more in store for you in the coming months. We'll continue to examine the failures of the Evers' administration and how under his policies "It's Not Working." We're also working on a effort to uncover potential fraud related to government payments. Of course, we'll continue monitoring how the legislature and the governor spend your hard-earned money.
Help support our ongoing efforts by making a donation today!
Coming Soon
Legislature Needs to Rein in State DHS’s Authoritarian “Science”
We've been covering the runaway bureaucracy of health care agencies for some time now, and Richard Moore is at it again -- this time arguing against overreaching state vaccine mandates. As Richard writes, "We should not let bureaucrats and ideological partisans pass themselves off as doctors who know better than real doctors."
You Should Know
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the non-profit organization that manages the electrical grid and electricity market for the Midwest and South, recently announced the winners of two regional transmission projects being built in Wisconsin. Wisconsin-based American Transmission Corporation did not win either one -- a big blow to the goals of so-called Right of First Refusal activists. We've extensively covered the ways ROFR would be a bad deal for Wisconsin energy consumers, and this decision is a win for free markets.
Quick Click
US Supreme Court Moves Closer to Transgender Sports Ban
The US Supreme Court is set to rule on two cases that could set major nationwide precedent around whether biological men can participate in women's sports. Dylan Wilder recaps the arguments in those cases here.
For Your Commute
A revamped MacIver Report will be coming soon!
About MacIver Institute: The MacIver Institute is a Wisconsin-based think tank that promotes free markets, individual freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government. Through research, analysis, and community engagement, we work to advance these principles and positively impact the lives of all Wisconsinites.
Last Update: Jan 19, 2026 1:22 pm CST
