The Cardinal's Nest

What are Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction? If you’re a typical American, you probably don’t use terms like “collateral” in your everyday life—I know I sure don’t. If you do run across the term, it’s most likely in one of two situations: collateral on a loan or collateral… Read More

Is Work Good for Us? Work is ever-present in our lives. Regardless of if your relationship with work is good or bad, it is a significant feature of your day. For those of us who have traditional office jobs, it takes up about 8 hours or so of our day. Read More

What are Unintended Consequences? A bit of a silly question, considering that the term is nearly self-defining. In short, unintended consequences are any unforeseen results, positive or negative, of deliberate action. We are all familiar with unintended consequences in our day-to-day lives. Struggli… Read More

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