缅北禁地

A Meredith Poll conducted in early April gauged North Carolina voters鈥� satisfaction with the direction of the U.S. and the state, perceptions of the economy, and opinions on actions at the presidential and state levels.

View the full report

In a survey that was in the field from April 2-8, 2025, the Meredith Poll found that North Carolinians continue to be dissatisfied with the direction of the country, despite a change in presidential administration. Slightly less than one-third of the respondents (32%) indicated that they were satisfied with the way things are going in the country, while 60% indicated that they were dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

The dissatisfaction with the direction was almost universal across demographic groups. Democrats and Republicans had a majority of their respondents dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Only those over 80 years of age indicated they were satisfied with the direction of the country.

鈥淚t is unusual for all partisan respondents to be dissatisfied with the direction of the country,鈥� said Meredith Poll Director David McLennan. 鈥淭ypically, respondents of the party that controls the White House are more positive about the direction of the country. The fact that a majority of Republicans are dissatisfied with the direction of the country, particularly after recently winning the presidential election, bodes poorly for Donald Trump鈥檚 approval and how the Republicans will fare in the 2026 midterm elections.鈥�

Satisfaction with the Direction of the State
Our respondents were more satisfied with the direction of the state than of the nation, but not optimistic. They were equally divided (42%-42%) between those satisfied with the direction of the state and those dissatisfied with it. There were differences in how different groups viewed the direction of the state. A plurality of Republicans saw the state moving in a positive direction, yet a plurality of Democrats and Unaffiliated respondents perceived that things were not going well in the state. Those in urban areas were more dissatisfied than those living in rural areas of the state, while those who were most educated were more satisfied than not.

鈥淧eople are generally more satisfied with how things are going in North Carolina than in the nation. That is not unusual,鈥� said McLennnan. 鈥淗owever, the fact that less than a majority of North Carolinians are satisfied with the direction of the state is a sign that people are generally unhappy with conditions.鈥�

Perceptions of the Economy聽

North Carolinians are very sour on the U.S. economy at the moment, with two-thirds reporting that the economy is somewhat or very weak. Only 31% feel the economy is strong. People are somewhat more optimistic about the economy a year from now, with 43% indicating that it will be stronger, but 44% indicating that it will not be in a good position.

In terms of current conditions, there were no significant differences between demographic groups about the state of the economy. People鈥檚 beliefs in the economy a year from now are a bit more mixed. Those with the least education and the oldest respondents are most optimistic about the economy. A plurality of Republicans think the economy will improve, but a plurality of Democrats and unaffiliated respondents are less optimistic.

鈥淥ur survey was in the field as President Trump implemented the nearly universal tariffs and the stock market dropped significantly,鈥� said David McLennan. 鈥淚t is hard for people to be optimistic about the economy鈥檚 future when they are worried about the price of goods and their retirement funds.鈥�

Policy Ideas and Approval of Political Figures
The poll also asked voters about their thoughts on Trump Administration Policy Ideas and those at the legislative level in North Carolina. These topics included tariffs, deportation policies, and DOGE-led cuts at the federal level. At the state level, topics included cell phone bans in schools and an effort to give the state auditor power similar to that given to DOGE. The poll also asked about the approval of political figures.

For these poll results and more details, view the full report.

Methodology
The Meredith Poll surveyed North Carolina likely voters. The online sample 鈥� from Qualtrics 鈥� used a quota based on the U.S. Census estimates of the population of North Carolina and current data on registered voters and voter turnout in North Carolina. After the survey was completed, we weighted the survey for gender, party affiliation, geographic location, race and ethnicity, and education so that our sample most closely resembles North Carolina. The sample had 759 respondents, giving a confidence interval of +/- 3.5%. The survey was in the field April 2-8, 2025.

About Meredith Poll
The Meredith Poll asks North Carolinians their opinions on a variety of social and political public issues. It is housed in the Department of History, Political Science, and International Studies at 缅北禁地, one of the largest women鈥檚 colleges in the Southeast. The Meredith Poll was launched in the spring of 2015 as part of Meredith鈥檚 commitment to civic engagement.