NC SPIN Posts by John Hood

Six trends to shape 2016

Prediction is very difficult,” said physicist Niels Bohr, “especially if it’s about the future.” This sounds like a sort of Yogi Berra-style quip. But Bohr was actually making a serious point...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 21, 2015

NC sees income gains

According to the latest federal statistics, North Carolina’s economy is surging and has become one of the nation’s pacesetters. This is not a political claim. It is simply a fact. If not for the...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 19, 2015

NC teacher exits misstated

Did you hear that 15 percent of North Carolina’s public schoolteachers left the profession last year, and that conditions are so bad that teachers are leaving our state in droves to teach somewhere...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 14, 2015


Fund transfer finally ends

Frustrated by how long it takes for a good idea, or even just a passable one, to gain traction and momentum in today’s Washington, D.C.? Plenty of Americans across the political spectrum share your...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 12, 2015

NC is conservative leader

Among conservatives around the country, North Carolina has become a superstar — a place where innovative ideas, sustained investment, diligence, and political acumen have combined to produce an...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 7, 2015

Labor market woes are national

While North Carolina’s unemployment rate currently stands at just under 6 percent, some argue that problems in the state’s labor market are worse than that one statistic would indicate. They are...    Read More

by John Hood   |   October 5, 2015


Party disunity can be fatal

Party disunity can be fatal for political campaigns in competitive races. Just ask former governor Rufus Edmisten. Sorry, make that former gubernatorial candidate Rufus Edmisten. After serving...    Read More

by John Hood   |   September 30, 2015

How the states turned right

Republicans have a large field of serious contenders seeking their party’s presidential nomination. Democrats don’t. Why? The Clinton factor may be one reason. While Hillary may not thrill...    Read More

by John Hood   |   September 29, 2015

Bad forecast on early voting

Anyone who writes or comments about politics will make predictions that fail to come true. I certainly have. Some forecasting errors are preventable. Using a combination of valid voter surveys and...    Read More

by John Hood   |   September 28, 2015


State initiates building boom

As a longtime observer of the North Carolina legislature, I have a pet peeve: lawmakers, lobbyists, and reporters alike focus too much attention on the General Fund of the state budget, those...    Read More

by John Hood   |   September 23, 2015