Back to court on pre-k
The North Carolina Supreme Court has never ruled that the state constitution requires the delivery of early childhood services to all preschoolers, or even to all low-income preschoolers. I know that... Read More
NC SPIN Posts by John Hood
What a colossal mess
In case you’ve been too busy with real life to keep track of the political dramas of the past two weeks, here’s a brief recap. The rollout of Obamacare has been a colossal mess. By trying to use a... Read More
Political Grudges Are Nothing New
Politics can be a brutal, bruising enterprise. If you said that you found the current political climate in Raleigh and Washington to be frustrating, dispiriting, and often juvenile, I’d second that... Read More
Pat McCrory, Jim Martin not so different
See if you can identify this N.C. governor. During his successful election campaign, he argued that business taxes were discouraging employers from locating or expanding in North Carolina. “I’m... Read More
Master's degree doesn't equate to better learning
Democratic legislators, teacher unions, newspaper editorialists, and other members or defenders of North Carolina’s education establishment continue to be aghast at the Republican-led General... Read More
The Case for Bending the Curve
Although it may not seem obvious at first, there is a common denominator between two separate dramas playing out in Washington and Raleigh right now. Nationally, the top story in domestic policy is... Read More
Show the Report Card
Have you ever gotten a cringe-worthy progress report or report card from your child’s school? Just about every parent will have this experience at least once. If the grade isn’t what you expected... Read More
A Bumpy Ride for Obamacare
Health care is likely to be the second-biggest issue in next year's midterm elections (the condition of the economy will be #1). But while North Carolina Democrats and liberal activists would like the... Read More
State Taxes and Regulations Matter
As the 2013 legislative session drew to a close, Gov. Pat McCrory and other Republican leaders said their main policy focus had been to improve North Carolina’s lackluster economy. They pointed to... Read More
Jesse Helms Averts a Primary
Thirty years ago this month, it looked like the North Carolina Republican Party might have a bruising primary for the nomination to replace Gov. Jim Hunt, who was nearing the end of his second term... Read More
