Archbridge Institute

The Archbridge Institute is a United States-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank focused on economic opportunity, social mobility, personal responsibility, the rule of law, entrepreneurship, and human flourishing. Founded in 2016 by Gonzalo Schwarz, the organization was created around the idea of building a broader human-flourishing movement and conducts research intended to connect economic policy with measures of individual and community well-being. Archbridge's work covers regulatory barriers, access to opportunity, and the cultural and psychological conditions associated with a healthy society. Its research portfolio has included occupational licensing, child-care regulation, the American Dream, economic mobility, and related questions about how public policy affects people's ability to work, start businesses, support families, and pursue meaningful lives. The institute presents itself as nonpartisan and generally emphasizes policies that reduce unnecessary barriers while preserving personal agency and responsibility. One of its recurring projects is the State Occupational Licensing Index. The index compares the licensing burden faced by workers across the 50 states and the District of Columbia by examining requirements such as the tasks and examinations prospective practitioners must complete before entering regulated occupations. The 2023 edition ranked Arkansas as having the highest burden and Kansas as having the lowest. In the 2024 edition, Kansas ranked best while Texas ranked last, illustrating the institute's use of state-by-state comparisons to highlight differences in regulatory access. Archbridge also publishes the American Dream Snapshot, an annual measure of public attitudes toward the American Dream. Its 2025 edition reported that approximately 70 percent of Americans were optimistic about the American Dream. In 2026, the institute expanded its index work to child-care regulation, publishing the State Childcare Regulations Index. That report argued that heavier child-care regulation can increase costs and reduce access, and identified Idaho as having the lowest regulatory burden and Vermont as having the highest. The institute participates in the Milken Institute's Economic Mobility Alliance. Its leadership includes founder, president, and chief executive officer Gonzalo Schwarz, and Clay Routledge, who serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer as well as director of the Human Flourishing Lab. The organization has described a staff of eight and a fellowship community of 20 people across economics, psychology, and culture teams as of 2026. Archbridge's principal public-facing outputs are reports, indexes, analysis, and policy-oriented commentary rather than consumer products.

Archbridge Institute was founded in 2016 by Gonzalo Schwarz, who sought to establish an organization capable of advancing what he described as a human flourishing movement. The institute developed as a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit and positioned itself as a nonpartisan think tank. Its central subject is the relationship between economic opportunity and the broader conditions that allow people and communities to flourish. The institute's research combines economic and regulatory analysis with work on psychology, culture, and public attitudes. Its policy perspective emphasizes personal responsibility, the rule of law, entrepreneurship, and access to opportunity. Rather than focusing on a single regulated industry, Archbridge examines policy environments that can affect mobility, work, family life, and the ability to pursue economic and personal goals. A major phase of its public research began with the State Occupational Licensing Index. First published in 2023, the index ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to the burdens imposed on people seeking professional qualifications. The methodology considers requirements such as the number of tasks and tests that prospective practitioners must complete before they can legally practice a trade. Arkansas ranked as the most burdensome state in the 2023 edition, while Kansas ranked as the least burdensome. Archbridge repeated the study in 2024, when Kansas ranked first and Texas last. The institute also developed the American Dream Snapshot, an annual project examining public confidence in the American Dream. The 2025 edition reported that roughly seven in ten Americans were optimistic about the concept. This work broadened Archbridge's public profile beyond regulatory comparisons by linking economic opportunity to perceptions of progress, aspiration, and social mobility. In 2026, Archbridge added child-care regulation to its state-index research. The State Childcare Regulations Index examined the regulatory burden affecting child-care provision and concluded that heavier regulation can raise costs and limit access. Idaho was identified as having the lowest burden and Vermont the highest in that report. Archbridge is a member of the Milken Institute's Economic Mobility Alliance. Its organizational structure includes economics, psychology, and culture teams, together with a Human Flourishing Lab. Gonzalo Schwarz serves as president and chief executive officer. Clay Routledge serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer and leads the Human Flourishing Lab. As of 2026, the institute was described as having eight staff members and 20 fellows. The available reference material does not establish a separate corporate parent, commercial owner, public listing, or former executive leadership roster.

• 2026

  State Childcare Regulations Index

  [1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Archbridge published a state comparison of child-care regulatory burdens, identifying Idaho as lowest and Vermont as highest.

• 2025

  American Dream Snapshot

  [1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  The annual snapshot reported that approximately 70 percent of Americans were optimistic about the American Dream.

• 2024

  Second State Occupational Licensing Index

  [1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  The annual index was published again, with Kansas ranking best and Texas ranking last.

• 2023

  First State Occupational Licensing Index

  [1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Archbridge ranked the occupational licensing burden in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; Arkansas ranked highest and Kansas lowest.

• 2016

  Archbridge Institute is founded

  [1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Gonzalo Schwarz founded the institute to support a broader movement centered on human flourishing.

A nonpartisan policy research institute connecting economic opportunity and regulatory policy with social mobility and human flourishing, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, and the rule of law.

• Research index · 2023

  State Occupational Licensing Index

  An annual state-by-state comparison of occupational licensing requirements in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study evaluates barriers faced by people seeking professional qualifications, including the tasks and examinations required before a person can practice a trade. Its purpose is to make differences in regulatory access visible and support debate about licensing reform.

• Public-opinion research · 2025

  American Dream Snapshot

  An annual research project examining Americans' attitudes toward the American Dream and related questions of optimism, aspiration, and opportunity. The 2025 edition reported that approximately 70 percent of Americans were optimistic about the American Dream.

• Research index · 2026

  State Childcare Regulations Index

  A state comparison of child-care regulations. The institute's 2026 report argued that regulatory burdens can contribute to higher child-care costs and lower access, ranking Idaho as having the lowest burden and Vermont as having the highest.

• 2026

  Expansion into child-care regulation researchStrategy

  Background

  After studying occupational licensing, Archbridge extended its state-index approach to another area affecting economic access and household costs.

  Action taken

  The institute published the State Childcare Regulations Index.

  Aftermath

  The report compared regulatory burdens across states and argued that heavier regulation can raise costs and reduce access to child care.

  Source

• 2023

  Launch of recurring occupational licensing researchOther

  Background

  Archbridge sought to quantify how occupational licensing rules affect entry into trades and professions across the United States.

  Action taken

  The institute introduced the State Occupational Licensing Index and began publishing state-level comparisons.

  Aftermath

  The index was repeated in 2024, creating an annual comparison of state licensing burdens.

  Source

• 2026

  Archbridge releases State Childcare Regulations Index[1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The new index assessed state child-care regulations and argued that higher regulatory burdens contribute to increased costs and reduced access. Idaho ranked as having the lowest burden and Vermont the highest.

• 2025

  American Dream Snapshot reports broad public optimism[1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The institute's annual survey found that approximately 70 percent of Americans were optimistic about the American Dream.

• 2024

  2024 State Occupational Licensing Index compares state regulatory burdens[1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Archbridge published a second annual edition of its occupational licensing study. Kansas ranked best and Texas ranked last in the 2024 comparison.

• 2023

  Archbridge Institute publishes its first State Occupational Licensing Index[1]Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The institute released a comparison of occupational licensing burdens across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Arkansas ranked as having the highest burden and Kansas the lowest in that edition.

1. 1Archbridge Instituteen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Archbridge Institute official websitearchbridgeinstitute.org