NC poll reveals partisan split on health of democracy

A recent Catawba College-YouGov survey reveals a significant divide in how North Carolinians perceive the health of American democracy, with partisan swings playing a major role. Meanwhile, residents express greater optimism regarding democracy at the state and local levels.

The survey, conducted in March 2025, shows North Carolinians evenly split on their views of national democracy, with 35% optimistic, 35% neutral, and 30% pessimistic. This is a shift from January, when pessimism stood higher at 32%, optimism hovered at 27%, and neutrality led with 41%. 

The divide reflects stark contrasts between political affiliations. Democrats have grown notably more pessimistic, with those expressing outright pessimism jumping from 31% in January to 45% in March. Optimism among Democrats fell from 32% to 24%.

Conversely, optimism among Republicans surged as their party regained national control. Optimistic views rose from 30% to 56%, while pessimism plummeted to just 8%.

“The health and perception of American democracy is crucial to our self-governing system,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which commissioned the YouGov poll. “If you simply look at the percentages at the most extreme responses — zero for ‘American democracy has failed’ versus 10 for ‘American democracy is the strongest it has ever been’ — you’ll find fundamental shifts in how partisans view our civic health. Democrats went from 7 percent in January saying a zero, that American democracy has failed, to now 14 percent.”

“Conversely, Republicans who gave American democracy a ten went from 4 percent in January to 10 percent in March,” Bitzer added. “There was also a significant shift to more optimistic responses among Republicans from their January responses. Yet again, partisanship seems to be dictating how Americans view the health of their democracy.”

When asked about democracy at the state and local levels, North Carolinians were more optimistic. For state democracy, 32% expressed optimism, 48% were neutral, and 20% were pessimistic. Views on local governance were even more favorable, with 35% optimistic, 49% neutral, and only 15% pessimistic.

Republicans reported the highest optimism about state democracy at 43%, while 32% of Democrats and 26% of independents shared similar sentiments. At the local level, 44% of Republicans were optimistic compared to 38% of Democrats and 27% of independents. 

The March survey, commissioned by Catawba College’s Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, polled 1,000 North Carolinians with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6%.

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