An Update from the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
A Catawba-YouGov survey finds that while North Carolinians are pessimistic about the nation’s political future, they are strongly united in support of constitutional checks and balances and oppose presidential overreach—even in hypothetical scenarios testing those limits.
“Even in a deeply divided political environment, North Carolinians show broad agreement on a fundamental principle: no president is above the Constitution,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which paid for the survey. “Voters across party lines expect the courts to be respected—and Congress to respond if the president ignores the courts.”
Conducted March 9 through 18, 2026, the survey of 1,000 North Carolinians was administered online by YouGov. The survey has an overall margin of error of plus/minus 3.58 percent; subgroups reported will have higher margins of error. As with all surveys of public opinion, results should be viewed as informative and not determinative.
NORTH CAROLINIANS REJECT PRESIDENTIAL DEFIANCE OF SUPREME COURT IN HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO
The survey gave respondents a hypothetical scenario: following a ruling that a policy is unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, a president continues enforcing it, arguing the Court is wrong. Respondents were randomly assigned a Democratic or Republican president.
“The findings offer a clear indication of how North Carolinians would respond if a constitutional conflict between the presidency and the courts were to occur,” Bitzer said.
When asked if they would approve of the president continuing the policy despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, 64 percent disagreed, with majorities across the political spectrum saying the president should respect the court’s rulings: 54 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of both Independents and Democrats.
Six out of ten North Carolinians said the president’s defiance would violate the Constitution, with majorities of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats agreeing.
Nearly two-thirds—64 percent—of North Carolinians believe Congress should assert its constitutional role in response to presidential noncompliance. Half of Republicans, 69 percent of Independents, and 79 percent of Democrats said the legislative branch should hold the president accountable.
When given a list of what actions Congress should take, 26 percent said they should begin impeachment proceedings, with another twenty percent saying they should hold hearings or investigations. Another 12 percent said they should pass legislation to block funding for the policy, while 22 percent were not sure.
“North Carolinians aren’t just rejecting presidential overreach—they’re also signaling that Congress has a responsibility to respond when those boundaries are crossed,” Bitzer said.
When asked what kind of threat the president ignoring a Supreme Court ruling posed to American democracy, two-thirds described it as a serious threat, with only 15 percent saying it was not a serious threat. Again, strong majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans said presidential disobedience was a threat.
And when asked about a mid-term election held after the president’s refusal to obey a court ruling, three-quarters said it would impact who they voted for in the election. Among Republicans, 65 percent said their vote would be impacted, while 80 percent of Independents and 81 percent of Democrats said the same. A quarter said the president’s defiance would have no impact on their vote.
Bitzer observed that “what stands out is the consistency across party lines—respondents agree that ignoring a Supreme Court ruling crosses a constitutional line.”
NORTH CAROLINIANS SUPPORT CHECKS & BALANCES, YET LACK CONFIDENCE IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
Two-thirds of North Carolina respondents said it was more important to maintain the system of checks and balances, even if it makes it harder to get things done.
Reflecting the Constitution’s division of governing power, the idea of checks and balances was supported by majorities across the political spectrum: 59 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of Independents, and 79 percent of Democrats.
Only 17 percent of respondents said it was more important that government act quickly and decisively, even if that means one branch of government has more power than the other two. Another 16 percent were not sure.
When it comes to who has the final authority in interpreting what the Constitution means, a plurality—41 percent—said it should be the Supreme Court of the United States, while another third said all three branches should share that authority.
Yet when it comes to confidence in the nation’s highest court, 56 percent said they had not very much, or none at all, with 44 percent saying they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence. And when it comes to whether the federal courts have too much power in deciding what the law means, North Carolina is fairly divided: 43 percent agreed to 39 percent disagreeing.
“There’s a notable tension in the data,” Bitzer noted. “North Carolinians may lack confidence in the Supreme Court, but they still believe its rulings must be respected.”
Two-thirds opposed a president acting independently based on their own constitutional interpretation, with only 25 percent agreeing in presidential power. And 62 percent oppose Congress acting independently in passing laws, if the Supreme Court rules differently.
And when asked if the president should be able to act when they believe it is necessary without Congress, a majority—53 percent—disagreed, fueled by Democrats (at 75 percent) and Independents (at 59 percent). Only 37 percent of North Carolinians said a president could act without congressional action, driven by two-thirds of Republicans agreeing.
NORTH CAROLINIANS PESSIMISTIC ON THE NATION’S POLITICAL CLIMATE
The survey found that a majority—56 percent—believe that the future of the United States’ political climate is negative, while only 18 percent believe it is positive. The remainder—17 percent—believe the nation’s political future will trend neither positive nor negative.
Among those who said they voted for Donald Trump in 2024’s presidential election, one third were positive about the future of the nation’s political climate, while 47 percent said they were negative. Among Kamala Harris voters, 73 percent said the political climate was trending negative, compared to only 9 percent saying it would be positive.
“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 noted.
