John Hood: Carolina Dispute Helped Provoke Revolution
RALEIGH — As we once again celebrate our country’s birthday, might I suggest we spare a moment to consider our state’s role in the dramatic story of American independence?
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John Hood: Our Economy Is Always Churning
RALEIGH — North Carolina’s private sector lost an eye-popping 414,000 jobs in the most-recent quarter tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Are we on the brink of economic cataclysm? Should you buy gold and head for the hills?
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: GOP Still Ahead on Key Issues
RALEIGH — A little over a year ago, I penned a column using polling data to explore why North Carolinians appeared to favor Republicans over Democrats in generic-ballot tests.“No, it isn’t just because of unfair redistricting,” I wrote. “Nor is it a lack of resources. North Carolina Democrats have raised and spent lots of money on races they still ended up losing. What I mean is that, on many of the public’s top concerns, Democrats lack credibility with the swing voters they need to prevail.”
John Hood: Fund Core Programs or Save Surplus
I acknowledge that one politician’s “wasteful spending” may be another politician’s “strategic investment.” Still, I suspect state Sen. Phil Berger got it right when he blamed the slow start of this year’s budget negotiations on lawmakers’ lack of focus on truly state responsibilities.
John Hood: GOP still ahead on key issues
RALEIGH — A little over a year ago, I penned a column using polling data to explore why North Carolinians appeared to favor Republicans over Democrats in generic-ballot tests.
John Hood: Science of Reading Bears Fruit
Over the past two years, North Carolina had made critical investments in the future of our state.
John Hood: Don’t be misled by averages
Mark Maye and I made an excellent team back in the day. That “day,” I should add, was actually a few weeks in 1977. I was eleven. Mark was a bit older. He and I played together on a basketball team in Charlotte. We won every game. To be more precise, we dominated every game. There’s a reason my dresser subsequently featured a shiny basketball trophy.
John Hood: Ticket-Splitters Could Prove Decisive
RALEIGH — Donald Trump will likely win North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes this year. Our state is a political battleground, no question about it, but in presidential races the Democratic Party always runs a bit uphill here.
John Hood: Let’s talk taxes – the right way
State and local governments annually collect tens of billions of dollars in taxes from North Carolinians. The total bill comes to an average of $5,300 per person per year.
John Hood: Higher exports would aid Carolina economy
While some economic metrics continue to offer good news to North Carolinians, others point in a different direction. U.S. agricultural exports, for example, fell by $17 billion last year and appear to be on track for another decline of about $8 billion or so this year.
John Hood: Can Government Make You Happy?
RALEIGH — Is it the job of government to make you happy? While it may seem like a straightforward question, there are some important subtleties packed into those few words.