John Hood: More freedom means more progress
RALEIGH — North Carolina has one of the freest economies on the continent — a fact that augers well for the future of our state and its (now) 11 million residents.
freedom
John Hood: Suppress freedom at your peril
During each election cycle, we are treated to an endless parade of politicians extolling freedom. Given how many of them subsequently vote to restrict our freedom in myriad ways, we have ample reason to be skeptical about politicians.
John Hood: Freedom has multiple definitions
What does it mean to be free? Many seemingly intractable disputes about specific issues — ranging from welfare spending and school choice to abortion and alcohol policy — originate from the fact that people don’t answer this question in the same way. It’s hard to have a useful political conversation without a common political language.
John Hood: Roots of American freedom run deep
Last month I joined dozens of other writers, scholars, activists, and leaders across the country to declare ourselves “Freedom Conservatives.” What do FreeCons stand for? You can read our statement of common principles at FreedomConservatism.org.
John Hood: Conservatives must stand for freedom
In North Carolina, the political label “conservative” is more popular than the terms “liberal” or “progressive.” In the most recent John Locke Foundation poll, for example, 46% of likely voters described themselves as conservatives, with 25% picking the liberal label and the rest either “moderate” or nothing at all. If we broaden out to include all North Carolinians, not just those who reliably vote, the gap shrinks a bit. But conservatives still form a plurality — and they significantly outnumber liberals.
John Hood: Freedom is a tool for progress
I’m a conservative without a conversion story. Plenty of others have such a tale — they read a certain book, had a certain teacher, or somehow became disenchanted with their previous, left-leaning views.
Conservatives see freedom as progress
Although the definition and priorities of American conservatism have been the subject of much debate among the chattering classes in recent years, most actual American conservatives will readily tell you what unifies their sometimes-raucous ranks: freedom.
OPINION: Time to celebrate and protect worker freedom
Happy anniversary to North Carolina’s right-to-work law!Seventy-five years ago, on March 18, 1947, North Carolina became one of the first states in the country to give workers the freedom to choose whether or not to pay a union.
OPINION: Mr. President, read the room
Throughout the course of history, we’ve learned that whenever tyranny rears its ugly head, an uprising of freedom will face it down. Our constitutional republic is built upon freedom, and every free nation across the world is as well. Thousands of miles away in Europe, freedom is facing an onslaught, and the whole world is bearing witness.
Freedom. U.S. dips to record low in global rankings
The Heritage Foundation’s 2022 “Index of Economic Freedom” puts the United States at a record low ranking, falling from 20th in 2021 to 25th this year out of 177 countries ranked.
Freedom is worth the risk
During each election cycle, we are treated to an endless parade of politicians extolling freedom. Given how many of them subsequently vote to restrict our freedom in myriad ways, we have ample reason to be skeptical about politicians.
Generosity and freedom go together
In places where governments are smaller, taxes are lower, regulations are lighter, and property rights are more secure, people tend to be more generous, trustful, and tolerant. Although progressives may find this proposition hard to accept, there’s an ever-increasing stack of empirical evidence to support it.