Judging by the financial market's renewed unease about Italy and Spain over the past week it would seem that all that the European Central Bank's €1 trillion liquidity injection in the European banking system bought was around four months of relative market calm.

Several studies have shown that public-sector workers receive higher compensation than their counterparts in the private sector. Although, federal contractors have some of the advantages of private sector workers, in that poor performers can be dismissed and the composition of the contractor workforce altered, it is possible that they are overcompensated just as federal employees are right now.

Normally, we expect to get thanked when giving a few bucks to a good cause. When it comes to K-12 schooling, though, folks giving away millions have been slammed for their trouble.

Despite grand announcements, gestures, and claims of reconciliation among warring Taliban factions, little is likely to change on the ground with respect to Taliban operations in Pakistan.

The average teacher working in a public school today receives total compensation roughly 52 percent higher than what he or she would receive in private-sector employment.

The impact of air quality improvements on individuals' well-being has been the subject of inquiry by many scholars over the past several decades.

Oil production, made possible by the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, is unlocking vast supplies of energy from the North Dakota's Bakken formation and putting it on an economic trajectory that is unmatched elsewhere in the country.

The question of the proper size and scope of government creates many rifts, even among conservatives. In this AEI debate, both Brooks and Ryan make the case for their competing visions of America. The conversation serves as a vivid reminder that even those who often agree on most things can differ on the basic question of the government's purpose.