At Texas Policy Research, we believe that good public policy must be evaluated by principle, not politics. That’s why every bill we review is assessed using a consistent, nonpartisan framework rooted in our five core Liberty Principles.
Our methodology is designed to ensure that our research and vote recommendations are clear, credible, and actionable, whether you’re a legislator, staffer, journalist, or citizen following the process.
Our Framework: The Liberty Lens
Each bill is examined through the lens of the five principles that guide our work:
- Individual Liberty
- Personal Responsibility
- Free Enterprise
- Private Property Rights
- Limited Government
We ask whether a bill advances, diminishes, or has a neutral effect on each principle, based on its plain language, legal implications, and likely real-world outcomes.
Key Evaluation Questions
In practice, our bill reviews are guided by a core set of questions, tailored to the specific content of the legislation. For example:
Individual Liberty
- Does this bill expand or restrict freedom of speech, religion, movement, association, or privacy?
- Does it interfere with decisions that should be left to individuals or families?
Personal Responsibility
- Does the policy promote self-governance and individual accountability?
- Does it create or reinforce incentives for responsible behavior?
Free Enterprise
- Does it lower or raise barriers to entrepreneurship or competition?
- Does it favor one industry, business, or model over others through subsidies or restrictions?
Private Property Rights
- Does it protect or erode the ability of individuals to control and benefit from their property?
- Does it involve eminent domain, regulatory takings, or new restrictions on land use?
Limited Government
- Does it require new enforcement mechanisms, agencies, or funding streams
- Does it increase the size, spending, or regulatory scope of government?
- Does it preserve local control or concentrate authority at the state or federal level?
Our Vote Recommendation Scale
We use a five-part scale to recommend how legislators should vote on bills we evaluate. Each level reflects the bill’s alignment, or misalignment, with one or more Liberty Principles.
You can find out more about how we define each position here.
A Nonpartisan, Content-Driven Approach
Texas Policy Research does not base recommendations on:
- The party affiliation of bill authors or supporters
- The perceived likelihood of passage
- Political strategy or coalition dynamics
- Public polling or popularity
- Organizational endorsements or alliances
Our commitment is to content over politics and to the long-term constitutional and economic health of Texas.
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