Campaigns go back to future
During North Carolina’s primary elections earlier this year, did you get a visit to your home from a campaign worker? If so, you are far from alone. One of the most noticeable changes in political... Read More
NC SPIN Posts by John Hood
North Carolina gives conservatives hope
I admit to being biased in favor of my home state. But I believe the following proposition is demonstrably true. To the extent that American conservatives are increasingly pessimistic about the future... Read More
We were never in Kansas
As the general election campaign begins in North Carolina, you can expect to hear a lot about Kansas. Yes, I can read a map. Kansas and North Carolina aren’t exactly neighbors. But when it comes to... Read More
School reform is good economics
Although the debate about education policy is robust, complicated, and sometimes vitriolic, there is actually broad agreement about the bottom line: if our students were better prepared for college... Read More
Tax dispute has a solution
The federal government has just released another set of economic statistics — and they again show North Carolina has one of the fastest-growing economies in the United States. According to the... Read More
Cash doesn't dictate votes
Do state politicians have principles? To some cynical academics and activists, the only way this question can have an affirmative answer is to define the term the way comedian Groucho Marx famously... Read More
State tax burden has declined
So far this year, we’ve had three state budget plans submitted by the three main actors in the drama: Gov. Pat McCrory, the North Carolina House, and the North Carolina Senate. While important... Read More
State pollsters earn good grades
North Carolina has one of the most-polled electorates in the United States. As we head into a general election full of highly competitive races for governor, senator, president, and other offices... Read More
Keep a lid on state debt
It’s cheap to borrow right now. That doesn’t mean you ought to load up with new debt, however, and this same wisdom applies to the public sector. North Carolina has traditionally maintained low... Read More
Political coin lands on its edge
So far, 2016 has turned out to be a momentous year in state politics — and the general election is still months away. North Carolinians have watched and in many cases participated in the rise of... Read More
