Politics should be less important
After leaving the presidency, James Madison said, “the essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” Read More
NC SPIN Posts by John Hood
State gets pleasant April surprise
With the projected budget surplus you would expect every state agency, local government, or private interest to line up at the Legislative Building asking for money. Read More
Job needs propel college reforms
The Community College Research Center ranks North Carolina 10th in the nation in the share of its transfer students who complete their bachelor’s degrees within six years. Read More
Cities differ on public safety tech
Localities already possess the power to make many consequential decisions about how North Carolinians live, work, travel, and recreate. Read More
State revenues are down this year
Unless there is a large and positive “April surprise” in General Fund collections North Carolina lawmakers need to get ready to tell lots of people “no.” Our budget must balance. Read More
Both sides offer bad trade policies
We can’t afford another round of costly trade wars that diminish foreign markets for the machinery, pharmaceuticals, farm products, and other goods and services we produce. Read More
Light touch can make homes affordable
Many local election races effectively put issues of adequate and affordable housing on the ballot. Read More
No silver bullet for school woes
Unfortunately, far too many political discussions of education reform turn into debates about how best to cast silver bullets. Read More
Carolina economy solid, not spectacular
When political commentators and activists pay attention to economic data, they typically seek to jam square statistical pegs into round partisan holes. Read More
Sales tax rules don't make sense
Our state should adopt South Carolina's method for collecting sales taxes. Read More
