Story from The Center Square:
Most North Carolinians favor smaller government and fear President Joe Biden’s administration will do too much to increase the size and role of government, according to a recent John Locke Foundation poll.
John Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank based in Raleigh, conducted the survey of 600 registered voters who said they most likely would vote in the 2022 election. The survey results showed 57% of respondents support smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes. About 59% of respondents said they are concerned the Biden administration will increase government role and size too much.
Respondents were mostly women (55%), and about 63% of respondents were age 50 and older. About 70% of them were white, and 48.2% live in suburban North Carolina. About 34% were registered as Republicans, 37% were registered as Democrats, 24% were unaffiliated, 2% were registered with another party and 2% were unsure.
“President Biden is earning middling marks with North Carolina voters, with a fairly even approval rating,” John Locke Foundation President Donald Bryson said. “The fact that a majority of likely voters are concerned that the Biden administration will do too much to increase the size of government in the U.S. likely has a cooling effect on his job approval.”
About 49% of respondents said they disapproved of the job Biden was doing as president, about 48% of respondents said they approved and 2% said they neither approved nor disapproved.
When it comes to state government, the North Carolinians surveyed showed more satisfaction in Gov. Roy Cooper’s leadership. Results showed 53% favored Cooper and 41% disapproved.
Most respondents also said they believe cutting taxes is the best way to improve North Carolina’s economy. About 39% said across-the-board tax cuts for businesses would be the best strategy to improve the state’s economy. Another 18% said taxes and government spending should be increased, and 16% said tax breaks and incentives for select businesses are best.
The North Carolina Senate approved a bill this week that offers $2 billion in tax relief for North Carolinians. The measure phases out the corporate income tax, cuts the flat income tax rate and increases the zero-tax bracket and the child-tax credit.
More than half of the voters surveyed said they would support a constitutional amendment adding a taxpayer bill of rights to the North Carolina Constitution to limit government spending and tax increases.
Results showed 56% of respondents favor an amendment that would limit the growth of state spending to inflation plus population growth, require yearly deposits in state reserves, return excess revenue to taxpayers and require voter approval for tax increases.
Sens. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, and Warren Daniel, R-Burke, have proposed Senate Bill 717 to create the Taxpayer Bill of Rights constitutional amendment. The measure has not made it past the introductory stage this legislative session.
The survey was conducted May 6-8 by Cygnal and has a margin of error of plus-minus 4%.
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