Poll: What is U.S. most important problem?

July 18th, 2010, 12:00 pm
by Jan Norman, small-business columnist

Bill Clinton was right. It really is the economy, stupid. At least that’s what most Americans told the USA Today/Gallup poll.

Tell us what you think then read what others said:

What is the U.S. most important problem?
• Economy
• Unemployment
• Government
• Immigration
• Healthcare costs
• Natural disaster response
• Federal deficit/debt
• Fuel prices
• War
• Lack of money
• Ethics decline
• Education

View Results

Despite plenty of news coverage of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the majority of Americans think the nation’s biggest problem(s) is the economy and unemployment.

Here’s Gallup’s breakdown (I combined all the responses related to war):

•Economy in general 31%
•Unemployment/jobs 22%
•Dissatisfaction with government 11%
•War (in general or Afghanistan or Iraq) 10%
•Immigration/Illegal aliens 7%
•Poor healthcare or cost of healthcare 7%
•Natural disaster response 7%
•Federal budget deficit/Federal debt 6%
•Fuel/Oil prices 5%
•Lack of money 3%
•Ethics decline 3%
•Education 3%
The economy and jobs have been Americans’ top concern since 2008, Gallup says. In fact 64% mention some aspect of the economy as the top problem, compared to 22% in 2008.

The economy as the top problem cuts across all political groups, Gallup says. Republicans and independents tend to mention the economy in general while Democrats mention jobs.

http://jan.ocregister.com/2010/07/18/po ... lem/41539/