Keeping the spirit of the western frontier alive

What Can The Arizona Cardinals Teach Montana About Education?

Key Takeaways Montana education is mediocre and has been declining since at least 2011 on The Nation’s Report Card and other important achievement measures. Decades of focus on improving public school districts has not stopped this decline nor yielded results for Montana’s rising generation even with steady funding increases. The existing education establishment has not,...

By Benjamin Lindquist, Cody Bendix

Montana 2050: Crypto

Key Points Crypto, and blockchain technology more broadly, are rapidly disrupting major global industry sectors and leaders are recognizing the critical need for America to lead in Crypto innovation. Crypto industry adoption, growth, and investment in Montana will provide key benefits to the state economy and enable Montanans to achieve more independence and freedom from...

By Tanner Avery

Montana’s Activist Supreme Court

"The Court should display fairness and stability and respect the constitutional prerogatives of the other branches of state government."

By Lawrence Reed

Election Crabs-In-The-Bucket

"We should want “Montanan” to mean anyone, longtime residents and newcomers alike, who embrace the frontier spirit. We should want “Montanan” to mean success and wealth and prosperity and vitality."

By Kendall Cotton

Frontier Institute Announces Ed Navigate

New online resource center helps families and education providers navigate Montana’s rapidly changing education ecosystem.

By Frontier Institute

Local Control Is Failing Montana Education

Key Points The signs of Montana education’s poor performance are both widespread and alarming. In our research, it is not evident that district school boards are raising alarms about declining performance or asserting local control. At least six major obstacles prevent school boards from providing effective oversight. In the absence of local control, state associations...

By Benjamin Lindquist, Cody Bendix

Frontier Institute Amicus Brief Filed In Felchle v. Montana

Statements from Frontier Institute and Co-Signers

By Frontier Institute

Lawfare Threatens Clean, Healthful Environment

"Our chronically ambiguous federal and state environmental permitting laws have enabled fringe anti-forest management groups to weaponize the courts and shut down critical projects, even projects that are good for our forests and our environment."

By Kendall Cotton

An Idaho Story NOT Coming To Montana

"Montanans should be grateful, though ever vigilant, that the Shippy story is not likely to be relived here in the Treasure State."

By Lawrence Reed

From Plans To Reality: The Vital Role of Categorical Exclusions In Forest Restoration Projects

"The focus must be on expediting good projects to remove excess fuels in our forests, not limiting the use of good tools."

By Hannah Downey

New EPA Rules Threaten Montana’s Economic Future

"Our leaders should be cutting red tape to make it easier to build vital projects and generate more power, not less."

By Tanner Avery

Pro-Teacher And Pro-School Choice

"School Choice is pro-student, pro-family, and pro-teacher."

By Kendall Cotton

Why Is Montana Experiencing Severe Teacher Shortages?

Key Points Classroom teachers hold the most important positions in Montana public schools because they are the ones educating students every day. Montana teachers experience persistent low pay and even layoffs despite public school funding steadily increasing the past 6+ years. Since 2017, administration costs for Montana public schools have increased by 4.7% while money...

By Benjamin Lindquist, Cody Bendix

They Are ALL Our Children

"Policy should improve the lives of citizens by increasing and upholding the individual’s freedom and dignity. The system should not be superior to the individual."

By Trish Schreiber