Poll Suggests N.C. Residents "Cautiously Optimistic" About the Economic Future | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post is Lindsay Marchello, who is an associate editor for the Carolina Journal, John Hood Publisher.

    A new poll shows that North Carolinians are mostly optimistic about the economic condition of the state and the country as a whole.

    Civitas Institute, a conservative public policy organization, released a preview of a poll showing most N.C. likely voters believe the economy is improving or will stay the same. National Research Inc., on behalf of the Civitas Institute, surveyed 600 likely voters on June 7 and between June 9-10. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

    "This poll is good news for North Carolina," Donald Bryson, the president of Civitas, said. "Higher economic confidence lends the state economy towards more investment and growth."

    Forty percent of respondents said the economic condition of the United States is getting better, while 30 percent said they think it's getting worse. Twenty-four percent said conditions are staying the same, and the remaining 6 percent are unsure.

    Respondents' opinions on the state's economic condition yielded similar results, with 34 percent saying conditions are getting better and 23 percent saying they're getting worse. Again 6 percent said they are unsure, while 36 percent believe the state's economic condition is staying the same.

    More than 50 percent of respondents said their family's personal financial situation should be about the same a year from now. Twenty-seven percent said they would be better off, 13 percent said they would be worse off, and 4 percent were unsure.

    "I believe this poll shows that North Carolinians are cautiously optimistic about the national and state economies," Bryson said. "Pluralities of statewide likely voters believe the national and state economies are improving."

    Bryson pointed out that the optimism, particularly for North Carolina's economy, is highest in the Charlotte area and Western North Carolina. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say they'll be better off financially in the next year. Similarly, more Republicans and independents than Democrats said the national and state economy is getting better.