If you’re searching for a common thread that unites most progressive public policy proposals, consider coercion. That’s the conclusion of John Locke Foundation Vice President for Research Roy Cordato. From the minimum wage to environmental restrictions to education programs, progressives tend to want government to force people into making decisions that satisfy the progressives’ policy preferences. Cordato contrasts the coercive approach to one that focuses on freedom and limited government. Discussions about direct primary care usually focus on the potential health and financial benefits for patients and doctors. But government agencies also can reap rewards from adoption of direct primary care. Mark Watson, executive director of human resources for Union County, discusses his local government’s positive experience with direct primary care. North Carolina has enacted one of the nation’s most restrictive occupational licensing regimes. Jon Sanders, JLF director of regulatory studies, explained during a recent public presentation how those licensing rules block potential entrepreneurs and limit economic growth. The people of Great Britain shocked the world recently with their vote to exit the European Union. N.C. State University political scientist Andrew Taylor, a native Briton, analyzes the potential impact of the so-called Brexit vote. Taylor also explains why his home nation might choose to restore at least some formal bonds with its continental counterparts. North Carolina and some of its cities have devoted millions of dollars in recent years to commuter bike lanes. A new John Locke Foundation report labels those lanes a poor use of limited transportation dollars. Author Julie Tisdale, JLF city and county policy analyst, cites Census data that show N.C. cities tend to be poor candidates for spending on infrastructure aimed at commuting cyclists.