About the Legislative Business Ratings
The North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation (NCFREE) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that conducts impartial, objective research and analysis on candidates, campaigns, voter attitudes and demographic changes that impact North Carolina’s electoral landscape. NCFREE is a mission-driven organization, providing business leaders across the state with timely updates and information throughout the year – the Legislative Business Ratings is just one of many such reports NCFREE produces and distributes widely.
OVERVIEW OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS RATINGS
The Legislative Business Ratings (LBR) are the cornerstone product of the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation (NCFREE). These ratings equip business leaders, the media, and the public with a tool to assess whether a lawmaker is generally favorable towards free enterprise or not.
This analytical assessment of the business disposition of all state House and Senate members is based on confidential input from a group of more than 300 business leaders, business trade association executives and government affairs professionals.
This survey pool represents a diverse cross-section of business interests, with geographic diversity as well as and an appropriate array relative to company size and scope, and industry sectors.
UNDERSTANDING THE LBR
A lawmaker’s LBR score comprises three components:
- Objective Component: Evaluates how each lawmaker voted on free enterprise legislation.
- Subjective Component: Surveys free enterprise leaders with extensive knowledge of legislature, including business leaders, trade association executives, and government affairs professionals.
- Bill Sponsorship Component: Assesses the net number of bills a lawmaker sponsored that favor free enterprise.
The final rating provides a straightforward metric: the closer the rating is to 100, the more aligned with the principles of free enterprise that legislator was during the Long Session of the NC General Assembly.