Can the experience of world-renowned musician and North Carolina native Joseph Robinson contribute to North Carolina’s on-going dialogue about the purpose and value of higher education?

What is the worst idea floating around about the UNC system these days?

If Jim Martin could make peace between religion and science, could he do something similar about his Republican Party’s war with science?

Can a former North Carolina governor bridge the gap between science and religion?

Reactions to the so-called repeal of HB2 show one reason why Democrats are already in trouble for the 2018 and 2020 elections.

Did you ever feel so let down after an election?

Most Democrats are happy that Donald Trump’s campaign is stumbling.

Who is the most famous woman in North Carolina today?

What do you hate more?

Fifteen years ago, following Sept. 11, 2001, I wrote the following:

It is here. Just in time for the election season, this new book can guide this fall’s political candidates to the North Carolina eateries where locals gather to eat and exchange information and viewpoints about public affairs.

Do you think that the Greek legendary half-bull, half-man called the Minotaur could help us understand what is going on in American politics this year?

The science-fiction pioneer H.G. Wells once observed that “human history is, in essence, a history of ideas.” This is a wise observation – and it speaks to the political debate we’ve been having here in North Carolina for the past several years.

Is Donald Trump really a unique political candidate? Did North Carolina ever have anybody in politics who compares with him?

North Carolina is urbanizing – that much is certain. You can chart it in the economic data about population, income and job creation. You can see it in the cranes that rise into the skylines of our largest cities. You can hear it as you travel the state and talk to people. Fewer have the dis…

As Democrats and Republicans actively contest North Carolina’s governorship, U.S. Senate seat and 15 electoral votes for president this fall, don’t expect them to ignore other races on the ballot.

Sometimes a simple newspaper column can take its writer to surprising places.

Do you want to know why the Left has tried to make North Carolina politics into an “all HB 2, all the time” zone? Here are some reasons:

In 2016 North Carolina features the country’s most competitive election for governor, one of the country’s most competitive elections for U.S. Senate, and the tightest state race in the country between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

North Carolinians of my generation have been blessed with two important Robert Morgans. One is the mountain-born-and-raised and acclaimed writer who is featured this week on North Carolina Bookwatch for his latest novel, “Chasing the North Star.”

Although North Carolina encompasses many islands, our state is certainly not an island when it comes to economic growth and social development. We are part of a region, the Southeastern United States, that has been growing and developing for many decades.

For her sake, and for ours, I hope Hillary Clinton asks Joe Biden to run for a third vice presidential term this fall.

You’ve probably heard that North Carolina ranks near the bottom of the country in the average pay received by our public schoolteachers. I wouldn’t blame you for believing this statement to be true, because it’s been repeated so often by so many politicians, journalists, and political activists.

As the general election campaign begins in North Carolina, you can expect to hear a lot about Kansas.

If you want some more tips for good summer reading from recent books by North Carolina authors, I have four suggestions, two set in the mountains, two about our military.

Although the debate about education policy is robust, complicated and sometimes vitriolic, there is actually broad agreement about the bottom line: if our students were better prepared for college, careers and the responsibilities of citizenship, North Carolina would reap tremendous benefits.

“You would vote for the devil if he were a Democrat, wouldn’t you?”

So far this year, we’ve had three state budget plans submitted by the three main actors in the drama: Gov. Pat McCrory, the House and the Senate. While important differences remain to be settled between the two chambers, I’m struck by the remarkable similarities.

The death of Muhammad Ali last week took away Donald Trump’s monopoly of television news coverage, at least for a time.

North Carolina has one of the most-polled electorates in the United States. As we head into a general election full of highly competitive races for governor, senator, president and other offices, those of us who closely follow politics in the Tar Heel State will again appreciate the high fre…

One of the consequences of writing a syndicated column on politics and public policy for nearly 30 years is that I am constantly told what I think and why I think it.

“Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one.”

I write today in praise of state employees who work in North Carolina’s regulatory agencies. Because of their due diligence, our state’s business climate is steadily improving – and North Carolinians are beginning to enjoy the benefits.

State lawmakers in Raleigh are about to release their budget plans for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Although they may not recommend the 5-percent average pay raise for public school teachers that Gov. Pat McCrory proposed a few weeks ago, there will be a substantial raise in their budget.

What can we do about House Bill 2?

Relatively speaking, North Carolina has a low rate of property taxation. That’s a basic fact of public finance – but its implications are varied, significant and underappreciated.

What can Yale University teach UNC-Chapel Hill and other universities about naming and renaming college buildings and programs?

When you ask North Carolina voters to name the top election issue in state politics, the most common answer – unless we are in the midst of a recession – is education.

Is there any way for the opposing sides debating North Carolina’s House Bill 2 to move beyond the current impasse? The odds may be against it. But on two outstanding matters, in particular – access to state courts and access to public restrooms – I think action is possible.

Can’t we just find something that we can agree upon?

Has North Carolina become a state of extremes?

When I first advocated the idea of parental choice in elementary and secondary education, it was considered by many to be a radical notion.

If Republicans have been attempting to suppress the vote in North Carolina, they must be the most incompetent tyrants in modern American history.

President Barack Obama’s job-approval rating has risen over the past two months. I think I know the reason why – and North Carolina politicians should take note of it.

Do you wonder why political adversaries seem so often to talk past each other rather than engage in useful debate? One reason is that, in many cases, they really aren’t talking about the same things.

During a recent book tour across North Carolina, I had occasion to visit with thousands of politically active people, most of them conservatives. The most frequent question I received from audiences was what I thought of Donald Trump.

The career of Calvin Coolidge, one of the greatest leaders in American history, has a lot to teach would-be leaders right here in North Carolina.

North Carolina is a boring state.