As the core of the largest metropolitan area in America, what happens in NYC has a big impact on the country as a whole.

This week, Manhattan Institute scholars weighed in on New York news while also discussing the national implications 🧵 For @nytopinion, @nicolegelinas looked back on how the migrant crisis brought out the worst traits of former President Biden and @NYCMayor Eric Adams.

“Biden seemed oblivious. Adams seemed too eager, signing no-bid contracts, vulnerable to corruption.”
manhattan.institute/article/a-look…

New @ManhattanInst issue brief:

Administrative bloat is sinking America’s colleges and universities.

From 1976–2018, student enrollment grew 78%, but administrative staff ballooned by 164%.

How did higher education get here? And what can reform-minded boards do about it? Traditionally, universities were managed as a partnership among faculty.

But they became "command-and-control" bureaucracies after WWII when enrollment exploded, and faculty traded the right to make administrative decisions for a smaller workload.

It was a devil’s bargain.

Since the U.S. Department of Education was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, Republican lawmakers and political leaders have wanted to eliminate it.

For now, the department still stands. But education reform has been on the minds of MI scholars lately 🧵 As @realchrisrufo writes in @CityJournal, President Trump’s recent “blitz through federal departments” has been surprisingly effective. If the current president is serious about shrinking or abolishing DOE, Rufo lays out the steps to make it happen.

MI's annual Hayek Book Prize celebrates the classical liberalism of Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek, the Austrian economist who influenced our mission: keeping America and its great cities prosperous, safe, and free.

We're proud to present the six finalists for the 2025 prize 🧵 "Build Baby Build: the Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation" by @bryan_caplan (@CatoInstitute 2024)

NEW: Ray Domanico weighs accusations that Hasidic yeshivas fail to adequately teach secular subjects and prepare students for success against the relevant historical, legal, and policy considerations and makes recommendations for the path ahead. manhattan-institute.org/nys-vs-hasidic… Domanico’s report reveals the complexity of the issues involved, starting with the tension between the state’s education interests and the rights of parents, especially in religious matters.

NEW: Should we be spending more or less on the NYPD? The question can only be fairly considered in context and with hard numbers. @nicolegelinas analyzes four decades of NYPD spending to find out: manhattan-institute.org/defund-the-pol… How large is the NYPD budget, relative to the overall city budget? How has spending on policing changed over the years and decades, relative to the entire budget? How large is uniformed-police staffing, relative to the overall city workforce?

In the @nytimes, critics of @NYCMayor's push to provide involuntary treatment for some mentally ill NYers ask: “Where are the resources?” That question is legitimate but demands clearer context. Analysis from Stephen Eide 🧵 FACT: NYC has abundant mental health resources: the nation’s highest concentration of psychiatrists, the most expensive Medicaid program in the nation per capita, and a commitment to supportive housing that goes back 30 years.

🚨 🧵As @ericadamsfornyc begins his term as @NYCMayor, MI scholars are dedicated to helping shape an agenda for the city’s post-pandemic recovery and a brighter future for all New Yorkers. @CityJournal manhattan-institute.org/policy-playboo… For @nypost, @nicolegelinas writes about the four things the Adams administration must do during its first days in office. nypost.com/2021/12/27/the…

🧵 For 30 years, @ManhattanInst has pioneered policing innovations—most notably the "broken windows" theory—that have improved both safety and quality of life in U.S. cities.

Now, we will expand upon this work with the launch of a new initiative. manhattan-institute.org/policing-publi… National and local debates over policing reform and public safety increasingly pit these two imperatives against each other.

Outrage over controversial uses of force and perceived police racism has spurred proposals to #DefundThePolice and enact various reforms.

🧵 Watch our eventcast with Professor Ed Glaeser @Harvard for his annual James Q. Wilson Lecture, this year addressing #COVIDー19 and city life in America. 1/ manhattan-institute.org/2020-james-q-w… America’s cities were brought to a halt by #COVIDー19. Workers in service jobs have been especially hard hit.

And now Zoom may do to cities today what highways did in the mid-century: undermine the econ logic of packing many people into small, expensive slices of land. 2/

We are pleased to announce our “New York City: Reborn” project, an Institute-wide initiative to kick-start the city’s recovery and develop a post-pandemic policy agenda for #NYC. 1/ manhattan-institute.org/new-york-city-… “New York City: Reborn” is a wide-ranging project encompassing research, journalism, and events. Together, we aim to form a comprehensive agenda for the city’s recovery and a policy blueprint for its future leaders. 2/

PR: manhattan-institute.org/press/new-init…

NEW POLL: We partnered with @SienaResearch to ask high-earning New York City residents about working from home, the city’s cost of living, whether they have considered leaving, and more. @michael_hendrix 1/ manhattan-institute.org/survey-nyc-hig… Per @cbcny, residents who earn $100,000 or more make up 80% of New York City’s income-tax revenue. This makes #NYC especially vulnerable to tax-base erosion.

Our poll found that 44% of high-income residents have considered relocating outside the city in the last four months. 2/

🗓️ Upcoming live events:

Monday, 1p ET: @michael_hendrix and panel discuss NYC’s retail problems.

Tuesday, 1p ET: @baseballcrank talks with @JamesRCopland about Jim’s new book.

Thursday, 5p ET: @Harvard’s Ed Glaeser delivers his annual James Q. Wilson Lecture.

Details in 🧵 Monday, 1:00 pm ET: @michael_hendrix hosts @paimaanL, @AndrewRigie, and @stevesouts to discuss the state of New York City’s storefronts.

Register manhattan-institute.org/malls-main-str…

We’re excited to announce 5 outstanding nonprofits as recipients of our 2020 Civil Society Awards! Each will receive $25,000 at our 10/29 awards event.
🏆LIFE: A Dementia Friendly Foundation
🏆@felix4change
🏆@InvHandsDeliver
🏆@epsymphony Tocando Music Project
🏆@EmbudoLibrary The Civil Society Awards recognize inspiring nonprofit leaders who--with the help of philanthropy and volunteers--address social challenges and work toward a common purpose in their communities.

Here is a brief introduction to our five awardees. /2
manhattan-institute.org/press/manhatta…

NEW: We partnered with @EchelonInsights to ask New Yorkers about crime, the cost of living, schools, and more.

The results show a city divided and pessimistic—especially among those least able to afford it—and broad support for certain reforms. 1/ manhattan-institute.org/new-yorkers-vi… Is New York on the right track?

New Yorkers are split on whether they think the city is heading in the right direction, with 46% saying that things are on the right track and 42% believing that the city is on the wrong track. 2/

HAPPENING NOW: @Rafa_Mangual talks with NYPD Commissioner @NYPDShea about the modern challenges of policing in New York, recent crime increases, balancing reform with public safety, and more.

Watch live: We're live!

Recent policy shifts in New York have impacted everything from pretrial detention to enforcement tactics. This creates new challenges for those tasked with policing America’s biggest city. @Rafa_Mangual @NYPDShea

HAPPENING NOW: @VivekGRamaswamy talks about how and why the nature of American capitalism is changing with @reihan. (cosponsored @smithsoc)

Watch live: Many prominent U.S. business leaders have argued it's no longer sufficient to focus on earning a profit. Instead, business decisions should advance social causes.

@VivekGRamaswamy has pushed back against this new "woke capitalism"—and it's the subject of his upcoming book.

🧵 We’re excited to announce our second cohort of Civil Society Fellows, nonprofit leaders who will receive a $10,000 fellowship for their efforts to strengthen their local communities.

Eloise Samuels @NJOrators
@bechrostowski @EdwinsCLE
@Mrsmeganleerose @BTogetherOrg Our 15-month Civil Society Fellows Program will help these leaders raise national awareness for their missions and make the case for the essential nature and value of their #nonprofit work.

Here's a brief introduction. /2 manhattan-institute.org/tocqueville-ci…

HAPPENING NOW: @JamesRCopland talks with SEC Commissioner @HesterPeirce about shareholder voting rules, and more.

Watch live here: In November 2019, the SEC proposed to reform the way the federal regulatory agency oversees the shareholder-proposal process and the proxy advisory firms that are integral to the modern process.

@JamesRCopland @HesterPeirce

HAPPENING NOW: @reihan, @coldxman, @DouthatNYT, and @wesyang on the "Successor Ideology."

Watch livestream here: "We're in the midst of a bourgeois moral revolution... certain liberal values are now seen as obstacles in the path of justice." — @wesyang

HAPPENING NOW: @smarick discusses the prospects for religious charter schools after Espinoza with experts from @NDLaw, @educationgadfly, and @QualityCharters.

Watch livestream here: .@smarick: Did the Supreme Court's Espinoza decision open the door to religiously-affiliated charter schools?