Education reform and the health of the state’s economy are the prime concerns of North Carolinians as Gov. Mike Easley begins his first term, while support for a state lottery continues to gain momentum.
Those are among the findings of a new Elon Poll, conducted Feb. 12-14 by the Elon Institute for Politics and Public Affairs. The poll sampled the opinions of 728 adults in the state and has a margin of error of ± 4 percent.
Although North Carolina is facing a significant budget shortfall, 63 percent of those polled believe the state’s economy is doing well. Other economic findings include:
- citizen opinion is split on the prognosis of the state’s economy in the coming year. 27 percent are optimistic and believe that economic conditions in the state will improve, while 31 percent believe North Carolina’s economy will worsen. 37 percent believe conditions will stay relatively the same
- only 39 percent of those polled believed their family’s financial situation would improve in the coming year, while 47 percent thought their financial situation would remain the same
Education continues to be the overwhelming priority of most citizens, the poll reveals, with 92 percent of those polled indicating they would like state policy makers to give education reform high or very high priority.
On other state issues:
- 64 percent of North Carolinians now favor a state lottery, up from 61 percent in December
- 50 percent of those who support a lottery believe its profits should be used specifically for education in the state
- citizens would like policy makers to give high or very high priority to attracting new businesses to the state (77 percent); improving environmental conditions (82 percent) and increasing the availability of health care to uninsured residents (79 percent)
In the aftermath of the controversial presidential election, the poll found that President George W. Bush received favorable ratings from North Carolina citizens:
- 59 percent believe the new administration is moving the country in the right direction
- 64 percent gave Bush a grade of “B” or better for his efforts to unify the country after the election
“Education was a top priority for most citizens before the election, and it clearly remains the top priority,” says Sharon Spray, assistant professor of political science and director of the Elon Poll. “The poll also shows that in spite of the state’s budgetary problems, North Carolinians continue to be fairly optimistic about economic conditions in the state.”
This poll is the fourth conducted by the Elon Institute for Politics and Public Affairs since it was established in September. The non-partisan Elon Poll conducts frequent state-wide scientific telephone polls on issues of importance to North Carolinians. The poll results are shared with media, citizens and researchers to facilitate representative democracy and public policy making through the better understanding of the opinions and needs of North Carolina citizens.
The Elon Poll is conducted by students who work under the direction of faculty members in the political science department. A computerized polling center located on campus is equipped with sophisticated statistical software and 27 telephone polling stations.
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