Politics

February 10, 2015 - In a new report, "Tar Heel Power Brokers," Facing South/Institute for Southern Studies ranks the top 101 most influential special interests in North Carolina politics through a combination of lobbying power and political spending in N.C. state-level elections. These four interactive graphics tell the story of these power brokers' influence in state government.

February 6, 2015 - The grassroots movement that's led to the arrest of more than 1,000 people in nonviolent protests against North Carolina's regressive political direction is getting ready to kick off another year of action with a week of daily events followed by a mass march through the state capital.

February 6, 2015 - Backlash against the South's recent rapid growth in the immigrant population may be contributing to the region's negative response to the president's executive action on immigration. But demographic trends may be fueling a more welcoming environment in the region's cities.

January 30, 2015 - With income inequality getting renewed attention from the public and policymakers, a new report by the Economic Analysis and Research Network takes a state-by-state look at the problem -- and finds that Southern states are among those where the income gap has grown most dramatically.

January 28, 2015 - The Obama administration has proposed opening Atlantic waters to offshore oil and gas drilling after years of being lobbied by a coalition of coastal-state governors that had more than a little industry help. But a growing grassroots movement aims to keep the drills at bay.

January 23, 2015 - An Institute analysis of who turned out for the 2014 midterm election in North Carolina finds small but steady increases in engagement among voters of color. Could they make the difference in the state in 2016?

January 23, 2015 - A new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy finds that the tax systems in all 50 states worsen economic inequality by taxing the wealthy at a lower rate than working families -- and several of the states with the most regressive tax systems are in the South.