The Cardinal's Nest

There’s Something Special About October I love October in West Virginia; I always have. The crispness of chilly morning air, the smell and sound of leaves falling after their far-too-short burst of autumnal color, the general stillness outdoors as people begin to spend more time inside, and, o… Read More

Foster Kids Are Constantly Moved Around Our foster care system devastates kids’ lives by uprooting them from their communities. These children are being shipped out of state. Some are moving to dozens of different living situations throughout their years in the foster care system. To be fair, the DH… Read More

Parenting Teaches Us a Lot About Life As a new parent, learning to appropriately discipline a little person has caused me to reflect on concepts of rational choice, justice, and equal opportunity. Parents discover that the consequences meted out to a child should be as natural and logical as possibl… Read More

Liberty Transcends Political Boundaries The Cardinal Institute exists to research and communicate freedom oriented public policy in West Virginia. “Freedom oriented public policy” transcends political ideology. Sometimes, freedom oriented policy seems conservative, especially when it comes to talkin… Read More

Lies, Statistics, and Mark Twain “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain though the true source remains historically murky. Origins aside, the sentiments behind the quip are worth taking seriously. Certainly, for myself as a po… Read More

WVU Faces Budget Crisis and Difficult Decisions West Virginia University (WVU) has undergone the difficult process of eliminating 28 majors, 143 jobs, and millions of dollars in spending. The cuts were prompted by the university’s $45 million deficit this year. Deficit projections over the nex… Read More

Remote Work is a Growth Opportunity for Appalachia As I was canvassing prospective guests for our Forgotten America Podcast, I came across Aaron Renn’s report titled “The Future of Appalachia.” Renn outlines areas of both growth and opportunity throughout Appalachia. He believes remote work is an ar… Read More

What do Republican Presidential Candidates Have to Say About School Choice? School Choice initiatives aim to introduce education to the marketplace. These programs give parents purchasing power, free students from zip code based schools, and bring innovation to schooling. While school choice is larg… Read More

Hope Grows in the Mountain State  West Virginia’s Hope Scholarship program, passed in 2021. At the time of its passage, the Hope Scholarship was the most expansive ESA program in the country. An education savings account (ESA), the Hope Scholarship awards 100 percent of the state portion of… Read More

Flooding Devastates Elk River Communities A little over seven years ago, on June 23-24, 2016, communities throughout West Virginia were devastated by “thousand-year” rainfall and subsequent flooding. The worst of the damage was concentrated in Kanawha, Fayette, Nicholas, Summers, and Greenbrier coun… Read More