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Freedom Focus
Freedom Focus
Free markets, not handouts, proven best at fighting poverty
For decades, American policymakers have debated how best to reduce poverty. The dominant policy response since 1964 and the launch of the War on Poverty under President Lyndon B. Johnson has been redistribution, expanding government programs designed to transfer…
Liberty
The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge
A cold dawn in February 1776. A small, humble bridge in southeastern North Carolina becomes the unlikely stage for a turning point in the birth of a nation. The Battle…
Energy
Fact check: Duke Energy reaps no billion-dollar fuel cost windfall
Did a new law let Duke Energy illegally pass along $1 billion in fuel costs to North Carolina electricity customers? No. Nevertheless, a recent WRAL news report, amplified by the left-of-center…
Energy
Baseload-for-baseload model bill
AN ACT TO ENSURE RETIRING BASELOAD ELECTRIC GENERATING CAPACITY IS REPLACED WITH AN EQUAL OR GREATER AMOUNT OF NEW BASELOAD ELECTRIC GENERATING CAPACITY Whereas, electricity is a basic human need;…
Research Brief
Elections & Public Integrity
Time for North Carolina finally to repeal the literacy test
I recently spoke with a group in western North Carolina about election policy. One of them asked what policies I am pursuing for the upcoming short session of the General…
NC 250
Julius Caesar, the NC state seal, and the Halifax Resolves
What does Julius Caesar have to do with North Carolina’s state seal and the Halifax Resolves? The Halifax State Historic Site will soon be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
Is North Carolina addicted to federal funds?
North Carolina has continued to accelerate its dependence on federal funds. From fiscal year (FY) 2024 to FY 2025, federal fund receipts within the state’s General Fund skyrocketed from roughly…
Liberty
Young men adrift: looking beneath the surface
A new survey from the Institute for Family Studies asks why so many young men are adrift, disconnected and disengaged from today’s world. The study, conducted by YouGov between April…
Research Brief
Energy
Solar’s cost should reflect its need for backup generation
Imagine a car without an engine. It doesn’t need expensive gasoline. It can reach fairly high speeds — if it’s going down a steep and long enough grade. Now imagine…
Budget, Taxation & Economy
New revenue projection shows surplus, revenue triggers prompting tax cuts likely to be met
Revenues coming in ahead of expectations, reflecting continued growth courtesy of tax cuts
Agriculture
When diesel spikes, the food system feels it
Global conflicts rarely stay confined to the battlefield. When war disrupts energy markets and global shipping routes, the consequences ripple through the entire economy and have a particularly strong effect…
NC 250
Pyle’s Defeat: More dreams of Tory support dashed
In addition to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge and commemoration of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse that occurred in the last few…