Think New Mexico produces one major policy report each year. These reports are summarized here. Some are available in PDF format (these require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view them, a program which may be downloaded for free here.)
If you are interested in ordering a printed version of any of these policy reports, please fill out and mail in our order form.

Small Schools: Tackling the Dropout Crisis While Saving Taxpayer Dollars (2008)

Think New Mexico's most recent policy report makes the case for small schools as a strategy to improve New Mexico's dismal graduation rate and student performance. The report describes the history of how New Mexico's public education system was transformed from a network of small community schools to large, centralized dropout factories. It then reviews the research demonstrating that small schools have higher graduation rates, higher student achievement, more participation in extracurricular activities, lower levels of student alienation and violence, and higher levels of satisfaction among students, parents, principals, and teachers. The report reveals that the conventional wisdom that large schools are less expensive to build and operate is false; in fact, high schools larger than about 900 students cost more than small high schools due to inefficiencies that result from increases in bureaucracy, security, and transportation. The report highlights successful small schools in New Mexico and concludes with Think New Mexico's proposal to cap the size of new public schools built in the state and implement smaller learning communities in existing large schools. Order a copy of this report.

The Secret Story Behind New Mexico's Title Insurance Law, How it Harms Working Families, and How We Can Fix It (2007)

This policy report tells the story of how New Mexico came to have a title insurance law that prohibits free market competition and requires the state Superintendent of Insurance set a single rate that all title insurance companies must follow. The result of this law is that New Mexico's working families face the eighth highest closing costs in the nation, a serious obstacle to homeownership. The report outlines a three step solution for reforming title insurance in the state: first, allow the free market, instead of the government, to set the price of title insurance. Second, encourage lenders to leverage their market clout and purchase title insurance policy on behalf of their consumers. Finally, end the title insurers' immunity from negligence liability. These reforms would save New Mexico homebuyers approximately $40 million annually. Order a copy of this report.

Averting the Crisis: Making Lottery Success Scholarships Sustainable (2006)

Think New Mexico's 2006 policy publication proposes the "30% solution" to make Lottery Success Scholarships sustainable: dedicate 30% of lottery revenues to the scholarships. Today the scholarships only receive 24%, while operating and administrative costs receive nearly 20%. The report demonstrates that the cost of running New Mexico's lottery is very high even when compared to other states that have low populations, rural populations, and low ticket sales. It then provides suggestions for where money can be saved on lottery operating and administrative costs and re-allocated to scholarships, such as re-negotiating the state's overly expensive online gaming contract with multinational corporation GTech, and reducing the relatively high retailer commissions. The report concludes with a discussion of Minnesota's recent success in cutting operating and administrative costs while increasing sales and delivering record revenues to the beneficiaries in that state. Order a copy of this report.

Individual Development Accounts: Expanding New Mexico's Middle Class by Increasing Access to Asset-Building Opportunities for Working Low-Income Families (2005)

In this policy report, Think New Mexico describes a strategy for increasing New Mexicans' access to Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), interest-bearing bank savings accounts where every deposit is matched with state and private dollars. In order to receive the matching funds, IDA account holders attend financial literacy classes, where they learn the basics of how to save, invest, budget, reduce debt, and manage their finances for the long-term. The report describes the success of IDAs in other states, and proposes a strategy for expanding access to IDAs in New Mexico that builds on the existing network of nonprofits, small business development centers, and financial institutions. The report also includes a plan to pay for the IDAs by reducing the operating costs of the state lottery, currently among the highest in the nation on a percentage basis. Order a copy of this report.

Re-Allocating Resources: How to Pay for Voluntary Prekindergarten for Four-Year-Olds Without Raising Taxes (2004)

This policy report lays out a strategy for funding prekindergarten by cutting administrative costs in the education system. The report begins by describing the many benefits prekindergarten would provide to New Mexico's children. It then lays out a plan to pay for the classes based on the fact that only 55.9 cents of every dollar spent on public education in New Mexico are used for "instructional" purposes - the lowest proportion of any state in the nation. Over 44 cents of every dollar are spent on administration and support services. The bulk of the report analyzes New Mexico's spending on the public schools and describes specific reforms that, if implemented, would result in nearly $96 million of savings - strategies such as utilizing cooperative purchasing, consolidating some administrative functions at the Regional Education Cooperatives, restructuring ineffective districts, and reforming administrative salary structures. Every dollar spent on administration and support services is a dollar that could directly benefit students if spent on prekindergarten instead. Order a copy of this report.

¡Rio Vivo! The Need for a Strategic River Reserve in New Mexico (2003)

In its 2003 policy report, Think New Mexico proposes a way to improve the state's river management policies by creating a Strategic River Reserve, a pool of publicly-held water rights dedicated to protecting and restoring the benefits provided by flowing rivers - including averting lawsuits filed under the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act, meeting our interstate river compact obligations, and promoting river-dependent economic development such as boating, fishing, and tourism. The report first describes the challenges faced by New Mexico's rivers, including drought, population growth, and the competing demands of the federal government, bordering states, and internal conflicts. It then describes how a Strategic River Reserve could be implemented, managed, and funded, and how such a River Reserve would benefit New Mexico's communities by providing a buffer against both drought and conflict. Order a copy of this report.

Why New Mexico Needs to End the Food Tax and How to Do It (2001)

Think New Mexico's fourth policy report begins by making the case against the state's food tax. In 2001, New Mexico was one of only nine states that fully taxed food. The state instituted its tax on food as an emergency measure to increase state revenue during the Great Depression. Though that crisis ended over six decades ago, the food tax has more than doubled in the intervening years. It ranges from 5.125% to 7.1875% throughout the state, and costs the average family of four more than $225 each year. The food tax is extremely regressive, as low-income households spend a greater percentage of their income on the food tax than do households from higher income brackets. The food tax is also an anti-family tax: households with more mouths to feed buy more groceries and therefore pay more food tax. The food tax really punishes large families, which tend to be disproportionately Hispanic and Native American in New Mexico, according to Census figures. The report concludes by offering ideas for making the repeal of the food tax revenue neutral, such as by increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Order a copy of this report.

Making New Mexico’s Public Schools World Class through Decentralization, Competition and Choice (2000)

This publication proposes a “third way” to improving New Mexico's public schools, a middle path between the extremes of the status quo and vouchers. The report describes Think New Mexico's proposal for moving more power down to the state's individual schools by allowing New Mexicans to choose to implement site-based management. Site-based management would allow the principal, parents, and teachers at each school to make decisions about curricula, budgets, and hiring and firing. In tandem with New Mexico's open enrollment law, this would allow public schools to set their own paths, and students and parents to choose the school that is best for them. Order a copy of this report.

Setting Priorities: How to Pay for Full-Day Kindergarten (1999)

Available in PDF

This publication follows the initial proposal for full-day kindergarten by identifying specific ways to pay for it by cutting wasteful government spending. In order to pay the net annual operational cost of full-day kindergarten, estimated at about 1% of the General Fund, the report proposes a variety of cost-saving measures determined through a detailed examination of New Mexico's General Fund budget. The measures discussed include: cutting non-essential spending in professional service contracts; ending the volume discount on taxes paid by tobacco distributors; abolishing non-essential and duplicative boards and commissions; cutting non-essential spending at the Public Regulation Commission; and ending New Mexico’s Animal Damage Control subsidy. All of these proposals emphasize making public spending decisions that reflect the best interests of all New Mexicans, rather than the special interests of a few. Order a copy of this report.

Increasing Student Achievement in New Mexico: The Need for Universal Access to Full-Day Kindergarten (1999)

Available in PDF

Think New Mexico’s inaugural publication explains why full-day kindergarten is a vital first step to increasing student achievement in New Mexico. The report first traces the history of kindergarten in New Mexico and attributes the origins of the half-day schedule (a misnomer since it is only 2 hours and 45 minutes) to an accident of history: World War II. The report also describes the benefits of full-day kindergarten for three key populations: students, parents, and teachers. For example, full-day students outperform their half-day counterparts on learning achievement measures, experience an enriched curriculum, and have a smoother transition into first grade. Teachers are given half as many students with twice the time to teach them. The report concludes with a discussion of the finances of full-day kindergarten, including the savings from reduced transportation costs and reduced Special Education costs. Order a copy of this report.