Mean girls and callous boys are nothing new. They’ve stalked school hallways and commandeered cafeterias for years. Yet bullies’ arsenal of pain-inflicting tools has never been more relentless; smartphones and social media platforms have erased boundaries of time and space. Anytime, anywhere: So go the slings and arrows of the virtual schoolyard. Fortunately, awareness of...
The recent appointment of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos exhibited much that is destructive, even demented, about our current political discourse. While objections to her lack of experience in government were understandable, critics went far beyond that to attack her character and question her intentions. She was also subjected to personal threats, both before and...
People can at times support positive public policy proposals for the wrong reasons. While it’s a good idea to welcome their support, it’s also fair to point out that the policy they advocate is not likely to achieve their goals. Take, for example, the issue of redistricting reform. A bipartisan group in the N.C. House...
North Carolina had the eighth-highest “policy uncertainty” score in the country in the run up to the Great Recession, as well as the sixth-largest jump in unemployment.
One of the great myths bought into by much of the general public, politicians, and media pundits is that trade deficits are bad for the economy. The idea dates back to the pre-Adam Smith (1776) days of mercantilism and is ultimately based on the notion that it is better for an economy to have money...
