Conservative government reformers have made great strides in North Carolina in recent years, but there’s still room for improvement. The 20th-anniversary edition of the John Locke Foundation’s Agenda book spells out 85 recommendations for free-market, limited-government reforms in taxation, spending, education, health care, property rights, and other critical areas of state government. JLF Vice President for Research Roy Cordato discusses some of the recommendations and explains why they would help North Carolina prosper. This year’s presidential election will have a profound impact on the American courts. Doug Bandow, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, reminds us that the next president will nominate a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Since three other sitting justices have reached or surpassed the average retirement age, Bandow says it’s likely that the next president could appoint almost half of the members of the nation’s highest court. Bandow analyzes the potential judicial impact of either a Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump presidency. The state auditor’s office generates plenty of documents each year. Most spell out problems in specific agencies or programs. But Auditor Beth Wood recently shared with lawmakers some key issues that crop up repeatedly in audits across state government. The University of North Carolina system continues to look for ways to provide more “bang for the buck.” One option under consideration is an increased focus on performance-based funding. Matthew Pellish of the Education Advisory Board recently briefed the UNC Board of Governors on performance-based funding options used by university systems across the country. You’ll hear highlights from his remarks, along with questions and reaction from the BOG. Carolina Journal continues to shine light on stories involving government rules that limit people’s use of their private property. Associate Editor Barry Smith offers updates on two of his most recent stories. First, a judge has told the N.C. Department of Transportation that it must move forward in making payment to Forsyth County property owners who successfully challenged North Carolina’s Map Act. Second, the Durham Rescue Mission has been forced to reassess its options now that the city council has determined that part of the mission’s property is subject to the costly rules associated with a local historic district.