Bret Stephens’ Pharmapologetics

Now, when the demand for both innovation and access is high, it’s time to think outside the box and reevaluate the relationship between pharmaceutical drugs and the patent system. Perhaps a prize system is in order, or maybe a formal guarantee from firms receiving BARDA grants that the drugs will not be patented.

Featured Publications

Op-Eds

Republicans loved Project 2025 until it threatened Big Ag handouts

Nan Swift Oct 23, 2026 Washington Examiner

Analysis Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, Federal Government Affairs, Policing

Examining the DOJ’s National Standards for Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training

Jillian Snider Oct 23, 2026

Analysis Electricity Policy, Energy and Environment, Federal Government Affairs, FERC, Natural Gas, Permitting Reform

BAAJA Blast Part 1: What Does Permitting Reform Mean for Energy and Natural Resources?

Jordan Nader, Tom Opdyke Oct 22, 2026

Newsletters, Real Solutions Electricity Policy, Energy and Environment, Low-Energy Fridays, Permitting Reform

Low-Energy Fridays: Is the future of the grid off the grid? 

Josiah Neeley Oct 23, 2026

Analysis AI Security, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Policy, Technology and Innovation

Containment Failure: Viewing the Agentic Breakout Wave Through a Cybersecurity Lens

Mark Dalton Oct 22, 2026

Analysis Electoral Reform, Governance, State Policy

Separating Private Selections from Public Elections Part 3: How could a privatized-party system affect general elections?

Jonathan Madison Oct 22, 2026

Analysis Electoral Reform, Federal Government Affairs, Governance, State Policy

Election Policy Landscape Stabilizes as Midterms Approach Part 2: Voter Identification

Chris McIsaac Oct 22, 2026

Analysis Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, Pretrial, Prosecution

Lawfare or Justice? Understanding American Prosecution Part 1 — Where Did America’s System of Prosecution Come From?

Juan Vega, Lisel Petis Oct 20, 2026

Real Solutions Cyber Threats, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Policy, Data Security and Data Privacy, Federal Government Affairs, Quantum Computing, Technology and Innovation

The Certification Bottleneck: How the U.S. Government Is Slowing Its Own Post-Quantum Migration

Mark Dalton, Nicholas Thielman Oct 19, 2026

Analysis Behavioral Health, Federal Government Affairs, Harm Reduction, Healthier Communities, Substance Regulation

Scheduling doesn’t keep dangerous drugs out of our communities, but reducing demand could

Stacey McKenna Oct 19, 2026