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Erin Norman

Erin Norman

Columnist

Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and senior messaging strategist at the State Policy Network, which focuses on free-market solutions to policy challenges. Prior to joining SPN, she was a senior solutions consultant with Heart+Mind Strategies. She also has experience in campaign polling at the local, state and federal level and in voter and consumer micro-targeting using predictive analytics. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from the College of William and Mary and a B.S. in business administration from Boston University.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Chevron case empowers the levels of government most trusted by Americans to have more impact on issues that directly impact their economies and communities.
The liberal/moderate/conservative labels we give ourselves reveal little about what Americans actually want out of policy and government. More progress can be made at the community level, where tribal labels are less relevant.
Wealthier families have always had options for educating their children. States have ways to provide options to everyone.
Look to local governance to build positive feelings about our democracy by nurturing social connections, autonomy and freedom. Don’t look to Washington.
Biden’s budget would provide billions, along with heavy-handed regulation, but it won’t expand the supply. The way to build more housing and tame prices is for states to encourage local innovation.
Providing guaranteed cash with no spending restrictions is massively expensive, and the public doesn’t support the idea. Policymakers should focus on reforms that maximize labor-force participation and make work more worthwhile.
The numbers are still at historical lows. Civic engagement is the most important factor in building trust in our institutions, and our communities need to find better ways to encourage active participation in civic life.
State governments can best lead and govern distinct and diverse communities. The founders knew that the only way to build a new nation was to avoid taking too much autonomy from them.
Clickbait headlines aside, there's little evidence that most Americans expect that it will take violence to settle our differences. And there's plenty of evidence that most favor compromise, common ground and progress.
The partisans make a lot of noise because it drives voters. But solid majorities have reasonable views about how and what we should teach kids about our history and the need for equality of opportunity.