On War Powers, North Carolinians Favor Constitutional Balance

By Michael Bitzer

With continuing U.S. military action involving Iran, the question of who should authorize military force—the president or Congress—has once again returned to the forefront of American politics.

But where do North Carolinians stand on the division of governing authority over war powers?

In August 2025, the Catawba-YouGov Survey posed a series of questions about governing authority and constitutionalism to 1,000 North Carolinians.* 

Among the governing authorities and powers in the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 states “The Congress shall have Power…To declare War … To raise and support Armies…(and) To provide and maintain a Navy.” In Article 2, Section 2, the Constitution states “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States….” 

In the survey, respondents were asked the following question:

How important is it that the president must seek authority from Congress to engage the U.S. military against another nation?

A Week Out: Five Takeaways from the 2026 NC Primary

 by Christopher Cooper

We’re a week out from the 2026 Primary in North Carolina, and the dust is settling — slowly. We still don’t know who won the most consequential legislative race in the state and we won’t know who actually showed up to vote until canvass closes and the voter history file drops. But with a little distance, a few things are coming into focus.