Three issues -- unemployment, the economy in general, and
dissatisfaction with government -- dominate when Americans name the most
important problem facing the nation. Nineteen percent mention
unemployment or jobs, 18% say dissatisfaction with government, and 17%
the economy in general. Unemployment edged out the other two issues in
February, but dropped slightly in March.
In the midst of the federal government shutdown in October 2013, dissatisfaction with government and politicians jumped up to the top of the "most important problem" list. But mentions of dysfunctional government settled back down by February and are now on par with mentions of the economy and unemployment.
In the latest poll, conducted March 6-9, the percentage who cite healthcare dropped to where it was in October, while concerns about the federal budget remained stable for the third month in a row. The percentages mentioning other issues such as education, ethics, and poverty remain at levels similar to February's.
Unemployment, the economy, and the government dominate as Americans' top concerns about the major issues facing the country. Separately, Gallup recently reported that Americans say they worry most about the economy, federal spending, and healthcare when asked to rate their level of worry about 15 issues. Together, these findings confirm that regardless of how the question is asked, the economy and government are the issues that most concern Americans today.
International issues in the news, such as the large-scale protests in Venezuela and the crisis in Ukraine, are currently not major concerns for most Americans. President Barack Obama has pledged to lessen wage gaps and make other measures to combat income inequality, but the public remains more concerned with finding good jobs and lowering the unemployment rate.
Americans Cite Jobs, Economy, Gov't as Top U.S. Problems
In the midst of the federal government shutdown in October 2013, dissatisfaction with government and politicians jumped up to the top of the "most important problem" list. But mentions of dysfunctional government settled back down by February and are now on par with mentions of the economy and unemployment.
In the latest poll, conducted March 6-9, the percentage who cite healthcare dropped to where it was in October, while concerns about the federal budget remained stable for the third month in a row. The percentages mentioning other issues such as education, ethics, and poverty remain at levels similar to February's.
Unemployment, the economy, and the government dominate as Americans' top concerns about the major issues facing the country. Separately, Gallup recently reported that Americans say they worry most about the economy, federal spending, and healthcare when asked to rate their level of worry about 15 issues. Together, these findings confirm that regardless of how the question is asked, the economy and government are the issues that most concern Americans today.
International issues in the news, such as the large-scale protests in Venezuela and the crisis in Ukraine, are currently not major concerns for most Americans. President Barack Obama has pledged to lessen wage gaps and make other measures to combat income inequality, but the public remains more concerned with finding good jobs and lowering the unemployment rate.
Americans Cite Jobs, Economy, Gov't as Top U.S. Problems
