An Update from the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
Nearly all 1,000 North Carolina respondents said that the Constitution’s amendments safeguarding life, liberty, and equal protection under the law are important. The survey found that 93 percent rated protections of an individual’s life, liberty, and property (found in the Fifth & Fourteenth Amendments) as “extremely” or “very” important, while 92 percent said ensuring equal application of laws under the Fourteenth Amendment is important.
And with the current debate over freedom of speech, nine out of ten respondents emphasized the principle of protecting free speech under the First Amendment. This is the second of three releases celebrating the 238th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
“These findings show a deep respect for the U.S. Constitution across North Carolina, but highlight areas where partisanship shapes which rights citizens prioritize most,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which paid for the survey.
Twelve of the nineteen civil liberties and rights asked garnered at least 80 percent of North Carolinians saying they were important (very or somewhat), while another four had at least 70 percent. Only three civil liberties had less than seven out of ten say they were important.
Conducted online by YouGov between August 11 and 18, 2025, the survey interviewed 1,194 respondents who live in North Carolina, who were then matched down to a representative sample of 1,000 adults who are 18 and older. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.83 percent, meaning that in 95 out of 100 samples such as the one used here, the results should be at most 3.83 percentage points above or below the figure obtained by interviewing all North Carolinians. Where the results of subgroups are reported, the margin of error is higher. All survey results should be viewed as informative and not determinative.
Support is also strong for other foundational rights and liberties:
- 89% said abolishing slavery (Thirteenth Amendment) remains highly important.
- 88% cited protection against unreasonable searches and seizures (Fourth Amendment).
- 83% pointed to protections against racial discrimination in voting (Fifteenth Amendment).
However, partisan differences exist on key civil liberties:
- On the right of citizens to assemble and engage in peaceful protests, a twenty-four point partisan gap exists between self-identified Democrats and Republicans. While nine out of ten Democrats held it was important, only two-thirds of Republicans said so.
- A strong partisan gap in the opposite direction was over the Second Amendment: nine out of ten Republicans said the right to bear arms was important, while barely half—52 percent—of Democrats said it was important. Overall, 68 percent of North Carolinians said the Second Amendment was important.
- The civil liberty that saw the largest partisan gap was protection of the press: while 81 percent of Democrats said it was important, only 47 percent of Republicans felt the same.
The survey also asked about six potential amendments to the U.S. Constitution and whether North Carolinians believed they were “very much needed”:
- Both Democrats and Republicans agreed that term limits for members of Congress are needed (72 percent and 69 percent respectively).
- While two-thirds of Republicans believe a balanced budget amendment is needed for the federal government, 58 percent of Democrats agreed.
- When asked whether an amendment guaranteeing voting rights for all citizens was needed, eight out of ten Democrats said it was very much needed, compared to only 48 percent of Republicans.
- Two-thirds of North Carolinians believe a ‘right of privacy’ was very much needed enshrined in the Constitution; a ten-point partisan gap exists between Democrats and Republicans, though both have strong majorities in favor.
- Six out of ten North Carolinians believe an amendment limiting contributions to political campaigns is ‘very much needed,’ while barely 60 percent believe an amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering was needed.
