NC SPIN Posts by John Hood

I Have an Unanswered Question

Call me a policy nerd if you like. I don’t mind. ??Part of my job involves commissioning, reading, interpreting, and writing about public policy research. As I began researching my 2012 book on...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 31, 2013

Do Not Play This Game

North Carolina politicians face many difficult decisions. Whether to subsidize professional sports with tax dollars isn’t one of them. The answer should be no, not a dollar, not a dime. If you like...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 29, 2013

Legislature Gets A- On Growth

When it comes to addressing North Carolina’s most-pressing challenge, our lackluster economy, the state legislature deserves a grade of A- for its 2013 session. Here's how I computed the grade. Last...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 27, 2013


What McCrory Is Counting On

When the July jobs report for North Carolina came out last week, showing an uptick in the unemployment rate, all the usual suspects said all the usual things. Republicans whose main focus is national...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 26, 2013

When Education and Politics Collide

When educational statistics and state politics collide, the results can be cringe-inducing. A memorable example dates back to March 4, 1999, when the governing board of the National Assessment of...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 20, 2013



If tax rates don't matter...

After the North Carolina General Assembly enacted its tax-reform package last month, critics denied it would have a positive effect on the state’s economy. Among other arguments, they advanced the...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 11, 2013

How to Read State Budgets

Since the end of the 2013 legislative session, I’ve had dozens of calls, emails, and Facebook messages from North Carolinians asking for help in sorting out the various and conflicting political...    Read More

by John Hood   |   August 2, 2013

Wobble But Don’t Fall

And so it begins. After a weekend of online chatter, media spin, and political fulminations, there can be no doubt that the end of the 2013 legislative session was, in truth, the start of the...    Read More

by John Hood   |   July 30, 2013


Wobble But Don't Fall

And so it begins.??After a weekend of online chatter, media spin, and political fulminations, there can be no doubt that the end of the 2013 legislative session was, in truth, the start of the...    Read More

by John Hood   |   July 29, 2013