John Locke Updates: Economics & Environment

A progressive tax system is based on the premise that it is a moral imperative for government to tax people at increasingly higher rates as their incomes go up.  The…

House Bill 589, “Competitive Energy Solutions for NC,” would be a major restructuring of energy policy in North Carolina. Here is a brief look into select aspects of the…

A recently released report paid for by the NC Hospital Association (NCHA) and prepared by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has, from an economics perspective, a number of flaws. …

Since North Carolina implemented sweeping tax reform in 2013, there has been interest in expanding North Carolina’s sales tax to include services. The idea is to transform the sales…

What do subsidies for “green” energy, mandated health insurance benefits, and quotas on imported sugar have in common? Clearly, all three policies generate a wealth transfer from the consumers in…

Note: This is an excerpt from a John Locke Foundation Spotlight report. Economic impact studies are everywhere. Whether it’s to support a new highway project, special tax breaks for…

Note: As this article is being written the outcome of the vote on the American Health Care Act is uncertain. Whether the bill passes the House today or not the…

What if the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) put out a study stating that if we had a draft more people would join the military, or if we made taxation voluntary…

What is “the market price?” For two people, a buyer and a seller of any products or service, the market price is that price that is mutually agreed upon in…

In my last Update, I pointed out that when trade is free, whether the value of imports exceeds the value of exports or the value of exports exceeds the…