Poll: Most North Carolinians Pessimistic About Political Future, Support Constitutional Limits
New polling shows 56% of North Carolinians expect negative political future, but strongly back constitutional limits on presidential power across party lines.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — A majority of North Carolinians view the future of American politics negatively while strongly supporting constitutional checks and balances on presidential power, according to new polling data released by the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service.
The Catawba-YouGov survey of 1,000 North Carolinians found that 56% believe the future of the United States’ political climate will be negative, while only 18% expect positive developments ahead.
The pessimism crosses party lines, with 47% of respondents who supported Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign expressing negative views about the political future. Only one-third of Trump supporters felt positive about the direction of national politics.
Bipartisan Support for Constitutional Limits
When presented with a hypothetical scenario where a president continues enforcing a policy after the Supreme Court strikes it down as unconstitutional, 60% of North Carolinians said such presidential defiance would violate the Constitution. The scenario randomly assigned respondents either a Democratic or Republican president to ensure balanced responses.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said a president who willingly ignored the Supreme Court would pose a serious threat to American democracy. 64% said Congress should hold such a president accountable for defying the court.
“North Carolinians aren’t just rejecting presidential overreach — they’re also signaling that Congress has a responsibility to respond when those boundaries are crossed,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service.
Strong Support for Checks and Balances
The poll revealed widespread support for the constitutional system of checks and balances across political affiliations. Among Republicans, 59% backed the system, while 68% of independents and 79% of Democrats expressed support.
Only 17% of respondents said it was more important for government to operate quickly and decisively than within a framework of checks and balances.
Among Harris supporters from the 2024 election, pessimism about the political climate was even higher, with 73% expressing negative views. Just 9% of Harris supporters felt optimistic about future political developments.
“Taken together, the findings suggest that while they are pessimistic about the direction of national politics, North Carolinians remain firmly committed to our constitutional framework — and wary of leaders who challenge it,” Bitzer said in a statement.
The survey results indicate that despite deep political divisions and widespread concern about the nation’s political trajectory, North Carolina residents maintain strong faith in constitutional principles and institutional safeguards designed to prevent abuse of power.
