John Hood: North Carolina Still Isn’t Very Urban
RALEIGH — According to the latest count by the U.S. Census Bureau, North Carolina has added yet another metropolitan area. Has our state become an urban colossus?
John Hood
John Hood: Technology Is Reshaping Policy and Politics
RALEIGH — Having spent nearly 40 years analyzing and writing about North Carolina politics and public policy, I often find myself placing today’s challenges and controversies into historical context.
John Hood: Drawing New Districts is a Terrible Idea
RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly is about to redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2026 elections. It will be the fourth-such map employed this decade — and a terrible idea.
John Hood: Let Parents Choose Their Public Schools
RALEIGH — Having expanded its Opportunity Scholarship program and strengthened its charter-school laws, North Carolina got a solid “B” in the latest American Legislative Exchange Council ranking of educational freedom. About a quarter of our students attend chartered public schools, private schools, or home schools.
John Hood: North Carolina Needs More Savings
RALEIGH — With the federal government running massive deficits, inflation still running ahead of the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target, the administration’s mercurial trade policies generating significant uncertainty, and both business investment and consumer confidence trending in the wrong direction, now would be a good time for states and localities to reexamine their fiscal risk.
John Hood: Defining Terms Can Shape Political Debate
RALEIGH – Are you an epicurean? The answer to this question reveals something about you, the English language, and the power of propaganda.
John Hood: Popularity Is Precisely What We Want
RALEIGH — What is the most popular state in the continental United States? You guessed it: our own North Carolina.
John Hood: To Combat Radicalism, Teach the Founding
RALEIGH — Recent assassinations and attempts on the lives of politicians, commentators, and other high-profile leaders are horrifying, wreaking havoc on our political discourse. Those who commit, welcome, or excuse such outrageous crimes differ in ideology, but most share a common objective: to provoke a wider war that, they assume, will result in victory for their “side.”
John Hood: Shoddy Statistics Will Produce Bad Policy
RALEIGH — President Donald Trump has removed the head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and appointed an economist from the Heritage Foundation to replace her. A legal exercise of the president’s powers? Absolutely. But the replacement, E.J. Antoni, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. I hope North Carolina’s Thom Tillis and Ted Budd give the matter careful consideration.
John Hood: Yes, We Can Stop the Fire
RALEIGH — I had strong political disagreements with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, on both style and substance — and I mourn his death, deem it an indefensible crime, and fear its consequences.
John Hood: Leaders Badly Mishandled Charlotte Killing
RALEIGH — Long before the release of a video graphically depicting Iryna Zarutska being stabbed to death on a Charlotte train, state and local leaders should have publicly mourned her death and expressed outrage at so appalling a crime. Now they’re paying the price.
John Hood: Test Scores Show Modest Improvement
RALEIGH — Test scores are up for North Carolina’s public-school students — a welcome development, although the news isn’t all good.