Overview

Read on for some statistics and insights about the level of civic engagement, political engagement and a “state of the state” overview of North Carolina.

 

 

Civic and Political Engagement

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service for 2018:

  • 35.1% of residents volunteer, ranking them 19th among the 50 states and Washington, DC.
  • 2,810,233 volunteers
  • 265.3 million hours of service
  • $6.4 billion worth of service contributed

Looking at political engagement specifically, according to this 2018 Wallethub.com study, North Carolina ranks #19 based on a weighted average across the following metrics:

  • Percentage of Registered Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2014 Midterm Elections
  • Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election
  • Change in Percentage of Electorate Who Actually Voted in the 2016 Elections Compared with the 2012 Elections
  • Total Political Contributions per Adult Population
  • Civic Education Engagement, CIRCLE
  • Voter Accessibility Policies, Ballotpedia

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Responsive Politics, Ballotpedia and Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE.

 

Women in North Carolina Politics

As of 2018, there are 30 women legislators in the North Carolina State House of Representatives and 12 in the North Carolina State Senate – for a total of 42 out of 170 seats. This equals 24.7% of the legislature (Source: NCSL).

See how many women serve in North Carolina’s executive offices here.

North Carolina ranks 36th in women’s equality – based on workplace environment (pay, unemployment and entrepreneurship rate disparity), education environment (education levels and math and reading scores), and political empowerment (disparity in elected offices) (Source: Wallethub).

 

What color is North Carolina?


North Carolina currently has 15 electoral votes, but “based on population projections, the state may gain an additional electoral vote after the 2020 presidential election.” From 1876 through 1964, North Carolina voted almost exclusively Democratic, and then almost exclusively Republican since 1968. In recent elections, North Carolina has been considered a swing state; the 2008 and 2012 elections were won by less than 2%. Donald Trump won the state by 3.6% in 2016 (270towin).

 

 

State of the State

State Government Structure

There are 170 total seats in the General Assembly of North Carolina, the state’s bicameral legislature. The State Senate has 50 members and the State House of Representatives has 120.  Members of both chambers serve two-year terms without term limits. After the 2016 election, North Carolina came under divided government, meaning no one political party holds the governorship and a majority in the state legislature (known as a state trifecta).

As of the 2010 Census, each member of the North Carolina House represents an average of 79,462 residents, and each North Carolina State Senator represents an average of 190,710 residents (Ballotpedia).

 

 

 

Budget process

North Carolina operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:

  1. Budget instruction guidelines are sent to state agencies in July.
  2. State agency budget requests are submitted in October.
  3. Agency hearings are held in October and December.
  4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the North Carolina State Legislature in early February.
  5. The legislature adopts a budget in June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
  6. The biennial budget cycle begins in July.

North Carolina is one of only six states in which the governor cannot exercise line item veto authority.

The governor is constitutionally and statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is required by statute to pass a balanced budget (Ballotpedia).

 

Business Climate

A 2018 CNBC study ranks North Carolina #9 in terms of overall business climate:

 

 

Freedom

Nebraska ranks 18th in Cato Institute’s 2018 Freedom in the 50 states.  The overall freedom ranking is a combination of personal and economic freedoms.  

 

Additional Resources

  • PEW Fiscal 50: State Trends and Analysis
  • PEW Women in Leadership  – see analysis of women in leadership on a national scale
  • National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Fiscal Survey of States
  • Compare 50 – pick what stats you want to compare with what states here
  • State Data Lab – compare a variety of factors among states here
  • Freedom in the 50 States 2018  – Cato
  • Tax Foundation facts and figures app is available for download

 

What You Can Do

As detailed above, North Carolinians have expansive potential for engaging in civic-minded and fiscally responsible activity. By forming Policy Circles across the state, women can lead the way in ensuring that policies are working and responding to individual needs at the local level.

 

Here’s what you can do:   

  • Click “It’s easy, start now” at www.thepolicycircle.org  to start a circle in your area. 
  • Read our “Year of Conversation” for an overview of policy briefs on key issues affecting the country and your state.
  • Connect with the John Locke Institute,  your state think tank and best resource for state level information on key policy issues. 
  • Tell a friend or family member about The Policy Circle by sending them to www.thepolicycircle.org. Any woman who believes in the power of free markets to unleash human creativity can start a Policy Circle in her area.