Requiring able-bodied people to work in exchange for government benefits is a popular idea. It’s a proven way to reduce dependency and break the cycle of poverty. And in the case of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — what used to be called food stamps — it’s also the law. So why are...
A new study of occupational-licensing laws is out — and the results aren’t pretty for North Carolina. According to a report by the Archbridge Institute, which studies barriers to economic mobility, the Tar Heel State has the eighth-highest level of occupational licensing in the country. That’s higher than any of our neighboring states. Indeed, one...
I have two favorite quotes from Ronald Reagan about the world of work. The first one illustrates his mastery of an indispensable political tool: self-deprecating humor. “It’s true hard work never killed anybody,” he quipped, “but I figure, why take the chance?” My other favorite Reagan quote makes a serious point: “I believe the best...
If you sincerely hope to persuade others that their factual claims are mistaken, you have to be open to the risk that your factual claims may turn out to be mistaken.
Have you ever noticed how social reformers often want new government regulations to do away with behavior and outcomes that past government regulations helped create? For as much as they talk about the greed of capitalists and the power of government to change society, they seem to miss that people do change their behavior in...
It seems reasonable to expect that public school students who achieve the highest-level scores on standardized math tests ought to get the first shot at placement in advanced math classes the following year. A measure moving through the General Assembly would turn that reasonable expectation into state law. The story starts in May 2017. The...
If marriage rates for households with children were the same today as they were back in 1980, median income in the average state would be nearly 11 percent higher and child poverty would be about 25 percent lower.
Many state leaders believe that North Carolina should find ways to ease the transition of convicted criminals into the job market, reform occupational licensing, and offer more apprenticeships.
Today’s relative lack of interstate mobility is harmful. It is probably one reason why the recovery from the Great Recession has been anemic by historical standards.
There are good reasons to be worried about the economic future – but they aren’t the ones you hear about the most from liberal politicians or the media.
Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations isn’t just an aphorism, it’s a reality for nine out of every 10 families who become wealthy.
