All Publications

Wisconsin is ripe for a far-reaching, comprehensive energy strategy that will move the state toward energy efficiency and independence.  The state depends heavily on three energy and fuel sources that are produced entirely out of state: coal, natural gas, and petroleum.  Importing all this energy comes at a high cost to the state—each year, Wisconsinites spend over nine billion dollars on energy imports, more than half of which goes toward petroleum products including heating oil, unleaded fuel, and diesel fuels.  These costs are likely to go up as a result of worldwide fuel shortages, natural disasters, and political instability in oil-producing regions. A COWS Fast Facts report.

Improving access to training for working adults, building stronger linkages to the local economy and increasing adult basic education funding will help Wisconsin’s technical college system add even more value to the economy. A COWS Fast Facts report.

Strengthening the state’s childcare subsidy program, improving compensation for childcare workers and further investment in 4-year old kindergarten will help protect and nurture our children. A COWS Fast Facts report.

Raising the minimum wage, indexing it to inflation, and ensuring that resources support and enforce the standard can help make the low-wage labor market stronger in the state. A COWS Fast Facts report.

Policy makers could use better information on which corporations are not paying income tax, where the loopholes are to reform and improve tax policy in the state. A COWS Fast Facts report.

Investments in economic development should only be made if policy makers and state residents can really count on them paying off. A COWS Fast Facts report.

A look at the economic challenges that women still face in the Wisconsin Economy. A COWS Spotlight Issue.

Stronger Ladders, Stronger Floors: The Need for Both Supply and Demand Strategies to Improve Workers’ Opportunities by Laura Dresser uses data from Mitnik and Zeidenberg’s paper to explore issues about building career ladders. The paper provides some data to help direct and focus career ladder development, and includes discussion of the need for both supply and demand side strategies when improving jobs.

From Bad to Good Jobs? An Analysis of the Prospects for Career Ladders in the Service Industries by Pablo Mitnik and Matt Zeidenberg discusses the various assumptions that are embedded in career ladder strategies, and investigates the extent to which the very structure of specific service industries may stand in the way of building advancement. The paper provides careful analysis of upward and downward mobility within specific industries, and considers the systematic prospects of career ladder strategies.

Pablo Mitnik and Matt Zeidenberg discuss the various assumptions that are embedded in career ladder strategies, and investigates the extent to which the very structure of specific service industries may stand in the way of building advancement. The report provides careful analysis of upward and downward mobility within specific industries, and considers the systematic prospects of career ladder strategies.

There is much in federalism that should excite anyone seeking the variety, experimentation, and learning that states can bring to finding solutions to national problems. Progressive federalism seeks to harness this potential state contribution to our national democracy without retreating from civil rights and a national affirmative state.