Archives: Research Staff

The John Locke Foundation is continuing its tradition, started in 1995, of offering an alternative to the governor’s budget recommendation. Consistent with prior years, this JLF budget focuses on core government. This budget spends less in both years of the biennium than the governor’s, and only increases spending by 2 percent from the last fiscal year.

Overall, North Carolina ranks 23rd in the nation and 5th among the 12 states of the Southeast in freedom. North Carolina ranks 16th in fiscal freedom, 18th in educational freedom, 36th in regulatory freedom, and 46th in health care freedom.

Every two years since 1996, coinciding with North Carolina's races for the General Assembly, the John Locke Foundation has published a revised edition of Agenda, our public policy guide for candidates and voters. Typically as we enter the campaign season, candidates for public office in North Carolina are faced with a daunting task: to develop informed positions on dozens of public policy issues. In the pages of Agenda 2014 we provide a concise and easily digestible guide covering a wide range of specific issues, from taxes and spending to energy policy and education.

View in your browser. Education Policy…

Policymakers in the many local governments of North Carolina face a host of important challenges. This issue guide offers solutions to problems that confront North Carolinians at municipal and county levels. The common thread in these recommendations is freedom. By increasing individual freedom, local governments can foster the prosperity of all North Carolinians and keep open avenues to innovative solutions from enterprising citizens.

View in your browser. Education Policy Last week, public school test scores were released.  In this week’s newsletter, Terry Stoops, Director of Education…

View in your browser. Education Policy In his newsletter this week, Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies, wrote a post-mortem of the…

View in your browser. Education Policy In this week’s Education newsletter, Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies, wrote about the remediation rate…

Education Policy In this week’s Education newsletter, Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies, wrote about the N.C. State testing program and some of its problems.  He’s…

View in your browser. Education Policy Many kids started back to school this week, including students at Rolesville High.  Terry Stoops, Director of Education Studies,…