Opinion
Conservatives see freedom as progress
For some, our strongest impulse is for government, an inherently coercive institution, to butt out of our private affairs and decisions. For others, the strongest impulse is to butt in.
Opinion
Families are swinging suburban
People have recalculated the risk-reward ratio and concluded that living in a lower-density environment is more attractive than it used to be.
Opinion
Political future may surprise us
A common political shorthand is to pit “neighborhood interests” against “developers.” But while past versions tended to associate the former with the Left and the latter with the Right, that formulation doesn’t capture the current mood.
Opinion
Don’t personalize political disagreement
To engage more effectively across political difference, explore why you think what you think and how others might have come to a different conclusion without being ignorant, foolish, or dishonest.
Opinion
Governing isn’t just poll-taking
Surveys are very useful but they must be interpreted carefully — and they are no substitute for deliberative, representative government.
Opinion
Public views split on government size
Government budgeting is more challenging than fashioning a budget for your own household precisely because the costs and benefits aren’t directly aligned.
Opinion
What trends miss about teens and technology
Teens are tethered to technology like never before. Almost all have smartphones; many are online constantly. Those are topline findings from a new survey of American teens by the Pew Research Center. This news is no rocketing revelation to those who know and love “iGen,” the name coined by social psychologist Jean Twenge for the smartphone generation, born after 1995. The...
Opinion
Housing choices reflect political divide
Progressive Democrats and conservative Republicans tend to disagree about growth policy not because of external pressure by special-interest groups but because their preferences are fundamentally different.
Opinion
Parties differ on government’s scope
All four GOP groups say they want smaller government, by at least a 22-point margin, while all four Democratic groups say they want larger government, by at least a 21-point margin.
News
Broadband expansion bill faces questions about government’s role
RALEIGH — Lawmakers are trying to make it easier for broadband providers to reach that last lonely house on that far-away dirt road. Supporters — a group of bipartisan lawmakers — are adamant such a system won’t compete with private businesses. But critics are asking pointed questions. Is extending broadband lines the right solution for...
News
House approves bill to bolster rainy day fund
RALEIGH — The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill aimed at beefing up the state’s rainy day fund. “It takes North Carolina from frankly one of the weaker savings regiments of any state to what the Pew Center believes will be one of the strongest,” said Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, the sponsor of...
Opinion
For A Balanced Diet
Broadcasting should make up only part of an active citizen’s news consumption — and, frankly, not the largest share of it.
