In Gallup’s latest monthly poll on the top issues facing the US, an increasing number of Americans cite government as the nation’s leading problem. With rising prices and tensions surrounding the US-Mexico border, illegal immigration ranked third with 11%. Meanwhile, worries about the economy in general fell to 10%–the lowest level in a year–and inflation was cited second at 15%. The findings come after Congress began its new session at the start of 2021.
Results of the survey, conducted between January 2-22, coincided with a volatile start to 2021 that included a 15-vote process to choose Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House. Amidst this political context and revelations of classified documents found in President Joe Biden’s private office and home, mentions of government as the nation’s top problem climbed six points to 21%. At the same time, approval ratings for Biden (41%) and Congress (21%) remained unchanged.
According to the results of the poll, the government stands out as a top problem for both Republicans and Democratic-leaning independents (24% and 18%, respectively). Meanwhile, issues such as inflation (18%), immigration (18%) and the economy in general (11%) were cited more often by Republicans than Democrats. Democrats were more likely to point to topics such as race relations (9%), unifying the country, and the environment as major issues.
