About the Institute:

The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute is a nonprofit institute established in 1987 to study public policy issues affecting the state of Wisconsin.

Government policy increasingly is made at the state and local levels. These public policy decisions affect the lives of every citizen in Wisconsin. Our goal is to provide nonpartisan research on key issues that affect citizens living in Wisconsin, so that their elected representatives are able to make informed decisions to improve the quality of life and future of the state.

Our major priority is to improve the accountability of Wisconsin's government. State and local governments must be responsive to the citizens of Wisconsin in terms of the programs devised and the tax money spent. Accountability should apply in every area to which the state devotes the public's funds.

The Institute directs attention and resources to the study of the following issues: education, welfare and social services, criminal justice, taxes and spending, and economic development.

We believe that the views of the citizens of Wisconsin should guide the decisions of government officials. To help accomplish this, we conduct regular public opinion polls that enable the citizens of Wisconsin to inform government officials about how they view major statewide issues. These polls are disseminated through the media and are made available to the public and to all branches of state government.

It is essential for elected officials to remember that all of the programs established and all of the money spent comes from the citizens of Wisconsin and is made available through their taxes. Public policy should reflect the real needs and concerns of all of Wisconsin citizens and not those of specific special interest groups.