Jason Sorens

Jason Sorens is senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), co-author of “Freedom in the 50 States,” and founder of the Free State Project.

The Unintended Consequences of Vacancy Taxes

Taxing vacant properties may be politically appealing, but they have little effect on rents while creating new economic ...

Viewpoints July 13, 2026
Progressive Taxes May Discourage the Most Productive Work

A real-world example shows how taxes eat into marginal income, steering workers toward lower-paying but more-pleasant jobs.

Opinion April 16, 2026
Census Migration Data Show the Value of Freedom

Americans prefer to live where they can keep what they earn and be left alone—even if the freebies ...

Opinion February 9, 2026
Let Neighborhoods Work: Bans on Home Businesses Are Out of Control

Building a business out of your garage is a quintessentially American origin story. In many places, it’s also ...

Opinion November 29, 2025
Let Car Manufacturers Sell Directly to Consumers

Commentary Before Amazon.com existed, you had to buy books—and any number of other things—at physical stores. If you ...

Opinion July 29, 2025
This Medicaid Fix Saves More Than Adding Work Requirements

Commentary Republicans in Congress are moving along with their “big, beautiful bill” to extend tax cuts, create some ...

Viewpoints June 9, 2025
Cuts to Indirect Federal Grants Could Change Research for the Better

Commentary On Feb. 7, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will be reducing its negotiated proportion ...

Viewpoints February 21, 2025
Can a State Just Opt Out of Federal Social Security?

Commentary The federal old-age programs, Social Security and Medicare, are going bust. The latest trustees reports show the Social ...

Viewpoints February 3, 2025