Income taxes: the enemy of economic progress

If one wanted to halt or otherwise hinder economic progress, it would be difficult to come up with a more effective tool than the income tax.

What state governments can learn from Vegas casinos

While keeping tax rates low on high-income earners may seem like sacrificing tax revenue in the short term, it makes sense over the long term.

On tax reform, NC is at risk of being passed by other states

While still ranking as a top state for business and tax competitiveness, NC risks falling behind other states if it stands still.

NC media tout flawed report on benefits from tax cuts

The Budget & Tax Center unfortunately continues its baseless fearmongering about tax cuts while presenting misleading arguments and leaving out critical details.

Locke’s Brian Balfour discusses CJ column about need for functional NC General Assembly

Brian Balfour, John Locke Foundation senior vice president for research, discusses his latest Carolina Journal column. It discusses the need for a functional North Carolina General Assembly. Balfour offered these comments during an Oct. 13, 2025, interview for Spectrum News 1’s “Capital Tonight.”

North Carolina deserves a functional General Assembly

Finger-pointing, childish blame-shifting, and refusing to accomplish the fundamental task of passing a budget are what have characterized this year’s legislative session. Voters deserve better.

Why Americans flunk economics — and why it matters

A stunningly low 17% of college graduates are able to correctly provide the basic reasoning as to why “free markets secure greater economic prosperity than government’s centralized planning.”

Conclusions about tariff’s impact on inflation are off base, premature

Because of multiple “pauses” by President Trump, the bulk of tariffs have been delayed until Aug. 1. It’s irresponsible to make conclusions about the impact of tariffs that have not even been implemented yet.

The time is right to cut ties completely with NCInnovation

It’s not too late for state legislators to erase their mistake and completely cut ties with NCInnovation. Instead, they could redirect half a billion in taxpayer dollars to help victims of one of the most devastating natural disasters in state history.

Trump tariffs look a lot like central planning

In a free society, it is not the president’s — nor government’s — role forcibly to direct the labor market and production output to their desired outcomes. That’s what big-government central planning looks like.

The misguided notions behind ‘Liberation Day’

In effect, tariffs are actually taxes on domestic consumers, not on foreign competitors.

Fiscal cliff or political posturing?

Stein and company’s fearmongering is highly premature and irresponsible.