Which States Are Winning on Spending, Taxes, and School Choice? | This Week's Economy Ep. 117

Patrick Gleason of ATR joins me to discuss how states are battling over taxes, spending, and education freedom.

Hello Friends!

What’s driving state-level prosperity—or stagnation?

While Washington obsesses over headlines and dysfunction, the real policy battles shaping Americans’ lives are happening in state capitals. From tax cuts and spending reforms to school choice and regulatory rollbacks, we’re seeing two paths: one that embraces economic freedom and another that doubles down on top-down control.

In this episode of This Week’s Economy, I talk with Patrick Gleason, Vice President of State Affairs at Americans for Tax Reform and regular contributor to Forbes, about the most important trends in state policy. We get into who’s doing it right, who’s doing it wrong, and how to push back against the growing threats of government overreach.

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• Budget wins and failures: Patrick and I break down which states are applying sustainable budgeting based on a maximum spending limit of population growth plus inflation, and which are letting spending explode.

• The income tax revolution: We discuss the growing trend of income tax phaseouts in states like Iowa and North Dakota and what’s fueling it.

• Texas and school choice: With a limited ESA law now passed, we explore whether Texas is still leading—or falling behind—and what other states are doing better.

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🎯 My Take

The trend is clear: states with pro-growth policies that limit spending, cut taxes, and expand education freedom are winning. Others are clinging to broken models, propping up bloated budgets, and doubling down on interventionism. Patrick offers valuable insight on how policy entrepreneurs can turn the tide at the state level. We need more leadership and courage and a focus on the basics: letting people prosper through freedom, not mandates.

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💥 Final Thought

We’re in a moment where state policy is more important than ever. Let’s ensure we’re learning from what works—and exposing what doesn’t. Policymakers, advocates, and voters must stay sharp and active. The future of freedom depends on it. Thanks for joining me in this episode of "This Week's Economy." For more insights, visit vanceginn.com and get even greater value with a paid subscription to my Substack newsletter at vanceginn.substack.com.

God bless you, and let people prosper!