Center Of The American Experiment

Programs: Minnesota economy project:the minnesota economy project was launched in 2016. Its goal is to educate minnesotans to the fact that the state's economic performance in recent years has not been good, in order to build public and legislative support for lower taxes and less onerous regulation. In 2016, the center published a comprehensive analysis of minnesota's economic performance in the 21st century by dr. Joseph kennedy. In 2017, we published the first in a series of annual updates to that paper. We have publicized the findings of the 2016 and 2017 papers with press conferences, radio and television appearances, op-eds in dozens of newspapers, radio ads on dozens of radio stations, three internet videos that have now exceeded 1. 2 million views within the state of minnesota, town meetings and other public appearances, and posts on the center's web site and facebook page. These publicity efforts will continue in 2018 with new radio ads, op-eds, and so on. In addition, the center will publish in early 2018 a study of minnesota's estate tax, which will conclude that minnesota could abolish its estate tax without losing any significant amount of net tax revenue, and might actually gain tax revenue. A comprehensive analysis of the current state of minnesota's economy, with projections for the future, will be published in late 2018. Our policy goals include abolition of the estate tax; spending restraint to allow tax cuts; personal and corporate income tax rate cuts; regulatory reform; and promoting pension transparency and reform. Other center projects will also contribute to a stronger minnesota economy.

thinking minnesota magazine: thinking minnesota is an important communications vehicle for the center, with a base circulation around 80,000. The center's goal is to continue to build circulation while using the magazine to spread conservative ideas and promote the center. Sharp content and compelling graphics have driven the popularity of thinking minnesota. In order to reduce the net cost of the magazine, we have secured a less expensive printer for 2018, and have contracted with an experienced magazine advertising salesperson, on a commission basis, to sell ads in thinking minnesota. Thinking minnesota broadly advances the policy goals on which the center is working. It also promotes the center and exposes new potential donors to our work.

quarterly lunch forums: the center continues its tradition of bravely addressing important and timely topics. Quarterly lunch forums allow supporters of the center to participate in person, and feel that they are part of the center. They provide a unique opportunity to disseminate conservative ideas in an intensive, personal way. We select speakers based on availability and topic interest and we will conduct the 2018 forums with the same format we have used in recent years. We will distribute transcripts of forums to a mailing list of 2,000 to 3,000, and will feature forum speakers and programs in thinking minnesota.