Policy Research That Matters

ReasonWorks produces research that engages real-world problems with philosophical depth and practical awareness.

Rather than offering abstract commentary, we focus on the kinds of questions that arise when people must act under pressure, or build institutions that others can trust.

Our research articles are academically rigorous yet easily accessible to lay audiences. They have been assigned in hundreds of courses across dozens of colleges and universities in the United States.

We have published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and nearly 40 op-eds, and have delivered guest lectures and participated in public debates across a range of settings. Our work has appeared in academic journals, news outlets, court decisions, and other venues.

Featured Research Article

“Did American Police Originate from Slave Patrols?” Academic Questions 36:3 (2023)

Summary: American policing did not originate from slave patrols. This widespread pernicious myth falsely asserts a causal relationship between slave patrols and policing and intimates that modern policing carries on a legacy of gross injustice. There is no evidence for either postulate.

Featured Media Op-Ed

“A Thinking Person’s Guide to Police Shootings” Human Events (9/25/2020)

Summary: The average private citizen knows vanishingly little about the complexities involved in deadly force encounters. And yet, while looking at a screen from the comfort of their reclining chair, the average private citizen feels equipped to pass judgement on those who are forced to make split-second decisions—or risk being killed.