HANOVER, NH—The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center’s ninth annual NH State of the State Poll surveyed a sample of New Hampshire registered voters (N=362) from April 11-15, 2016 to assess their opinions on policy issues, elected officials, and the state of the economy in New Hampshire and in the United States…
Marijuana legalization is a prominent matter in politics today. While 23 states have legalized use of the entire plant for medicinal marijuana, only four (and Washington, D.C.) have legalized the use of recreational marijuana for people ages 21 and older. This report contextualizes the financial implications of recreational marijuana legalization…
This report addresses the goal of effective and efficient governance. The New Hampshire legislature receives a number of policy proposals each session claiming to be “evidence- based” but has no program evaluation mechanism. Proposals use different definitions and frameworks, and the legislature does not currently have one standard program methodology…
The possibility of establishing a public bank may offer an opportunity for New Hampshire to exercise more control over its finances, and may offer an opportunity for a public sector institution to fulfill public needs that the private sector cannot or will not adequately meet. This report examines New Hampshire’s capital…
There is much potential for the New Hampshire electricity grid to run more efficiently and reliably than in its current state. This brief takes on a comparative approach between the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) in the Midwestern United States and the Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE), of which New…
As Lake Champlain, the sixth largest freshwater lake in North America, continues to suffer from excessive phosphorous pollution and expansive algae growth, the State of Vermont faces a costly mandate from the Environmental Protection Agency to curtail the pollution. The cleanup will require a budgetary expenditure of $156 million per…
Substance abuse is currently one of the leading public health concerns in the state of New Hampshire. State Representative James Belanger has proposed House Bill 1603 (HB1603), which aims to establish a drug dealer registry in New Hampshire. This report assesses the potential and challenges of a drug dealer registry…
This report was commissioned by Representative Tracey Emerick to provide a broad overview of local government services with potential for consolidation in New Hampshire. From 50 potential services, we selected eight services that are candidates for regionalization. We carefully considered whether or not these services would be shareable, politically feasible…
The goal of this report is to provide an overview of shared decision making as a health care practice and related policy options for the state of New Hampshire. Through evaluation of current research and salient case studies, this report seeks to highlight the opportunities and challenges of implementing shared…
The City of Claremont, New Hampshire approached the Rockefeller Centers Policy Research Shop about methods for surveying housing stock in the city. At that time, Claremont had just received a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant with provisions attached to its award. One of these, the one…