In this issue:

Up Front: Gangs, drugs, and the economy
At a recent Behind the Spin event in Calgary, Dr. Stephen Easton, Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute, discussed the true costs of crime.

A blueprint for continued prosperity
by Charles Lammam and Niels Veldhuis
Despite the global economic downturn, Saskatchewan is expected to experience positive economic growth this year. The province should use this unique opportunity to solidify its reputation as one of the best places to invest in Canada.

Missed opportunities
by Niels Veldhuis and Milagros Palacios
Instead of increasing spending, the BC government should have used its 2009 budget to create incentives for investment and business development.

Centralizing America’s health care
by Mark Rovere
President Obama’s preference for increased government involvement in health care should be a cause for concern among Americans and Canadians alike.

The benefits of trade
by Fred McMahon
Canadian and American governments should resist the temptation to adopt “buy domestic” policies.

Key Concepts: Money
by Steven Horwitz
Money is one human institution that is so ubiquitous that we do not often step back and consider how it works and why.

Education and opportunity
by Kristin Fryer
For over 20 years, the Fraser Institute’s student programs have given young people the opportunity to examine public policy issues from a free market perspective.

Creating a common security perimeter
by Martin Collacott
Canada must step up its security if it wishes to avoid any further thickening of its border with the United States.

Obama’s radical remake of the US economy
by Jason Clemens
The Obama administration is using the current economic crisis to implement changes that will impair economic growth and prosperity in the future.

Give Quebec workers democratic rights
by Niels Veldhuis and Alex Gainer
Quebec’s “card check” system of union certification should be replaced by a formal secret ballot vote, which would give workers the ability to choose anonymously and democratically.

Refocusing on the Alberta Advantage
by Nadeem Esmail, Niels Veldhuis, and Milagros Palacios
The Alberta government needs to rein in its recent spending spree and return to prudent fiscal management.

The rising tide of protectionism in the United States
by Alan W. Dowd
Given the state of the US economy, it is unlikely that the protectionist impulse in the US will subside anytime soon.

Taking action in the Arctic
by Alexander Moens and Alan W. Dowd
It is time for the Canadian government to do more than talk about Arctic security and sovereignty.