GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 6 in 10 Americans worry a "great deal" about the availability and affordability of healthcare, according to the latest Gallup survey. Those figures make healthcare the No. 1 issue among 11 tested in the poll. Other issues that concern the public a great deal include crime and violence (46% of Americans say the issue worries them a great deal), drug use (46%), the possibility of future terrorist attacks in the United States (42%), and the economy (41%).
| Concern About Social Issues % saying "great deal" |
 |
| March 8-11, 2004 |
Mentioned by slightly more than a third of respondents (35% to 37%) are the issues of illegal immigration, unemployment, hunger and homelessness, the availability and affordability of energy, and the quality of the environment. Last on the list is race relations, which elicits a "great deal" of worry from just 19% of Americans.
Trends in Worry
In 2001, the two most worrisome issues were crime and violence (62% of Americans said they were worried a great deal about the issue) and healthcare availability and affordability (60%). Drug use also ranked high (58%). But in the past three years, public worries about drug use and about crime and violence have declined, while worry about healthcare has remained high.
| Trend in Concern About Social
Issues % saying "great deal" for each issue |
 |
Worry about future terrorist attacks was higher in 2002 and in 2003 (49% of Americans said they worried a great deal about that matter) than it is now (42%). Worry about the economy is the only issue other than healthcare to cause more worry today than two and three years ago. In 2001, 35% worried a great deal about the economy, and that level of worry rose to 44% last year and then declined to 41% this year.
Partisan Evaluations
Overall, Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say they worry a great deal about almost all of the issues. This is not unexpected. Gallup analysis has shown that people who identify with the party of the president are generally more positive about many national issues than are people who identify with the other major party.
On no issue does Gallup find a majority of Republicans (including independents who lean Republican) saying they worry a great deal about that issue. By contrast, on 5 of the 11 issues there are majorities of Democrats (including independents who lean Democratic) who worry a great deal.
| Concern About Social Issues by Party Identification % saying "great deal" |
 |
| March 8-11, 2004 |
Democrats and Republicans are about equally likely to say they are worried a great deal about two issues -- terrorism and illegal immigration. But on the other nine issues, there are major "party gaps" -- with Democrats on average 24 points more likely than Republicans to say they are worried.
The largest gaps are found on unemployment (53% of Democrats worried a great deal, compared with 16% of Republicans), the economy (56% to 22%), and healthcare (75% to 45%).
Two other issues show gaps of more than 20 points -- hunger and homelessness (47% to 22%), and the environment (46% to 22%).
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,005 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted March 8-11, 2004. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
Next, I'm going to read a list of problems facing the country. For each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all? First, how much do you personally worry about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?
A. Hunger and homelessness
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
35 |
29 |
28 |
8 |
-- |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
37 |
33 |
22 |
8 |
-- |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
37 |
30 |
26 |
7 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
45 |
34 |
16 |
5 |
* |
B. Crime and violence
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
46 |
26 |
24 |
4 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
45 |
31 |
18 |
5 |
1 |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
49 |
27 |
20 |
4 |
0 |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
62 |
26 |
9 |
3 |
* |
C. The quality of the environment
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
35 |
27 |
31 |
7 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
34 |
34 |
21 |
10 |
1 |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
35 |
31 |
27 |
6 |
1 |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
42 |
35 |
17 |
5 |
1 |
D. The availability and affordability of healthcare
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
62 |
18 |
13 |
7 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
55 |
24 |
12 |
8 |
1 |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
56 |
23 |
14 |
7 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
60 |
24 |
11 |
5 |
* |
E. Drug use
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
46 |
19 |
20 |
14 |
1 |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
42 |
26 |
20 |
12 |
* |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
49 |
22 |
19 |
9 |
1 |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
58 |
22 |
13 |
7 |
* |
F. Race relations
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
19 |
23 |
34 |
23 |
1 |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
22 |
31 |
26 |
21 |
* |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
23 |
25 |
30 |
21 |
1 |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
28 |
34 |
23 |
15 |
* |
G. Illegal immigration
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
37 |
22 |
25 |
15 |
1 |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
37 |
26 |
23 |
13 |
1 |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
33 |
25 |
26 |
16 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
28 |
24 |
29 |
18 |
1 |
H. The availability and affordability of energy
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
35 |
28 |
25 |
11 |
1 |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
27 |
36 |
25 |
11 |
1 |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
32 |
30 |
29 |
9 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
46 |
31 |
16 |
6 |
1 |
I. The economy
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
41 |
29 |
24 |
6 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
44 |
35 |
15 |
6 |
* |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
37 |
36 |
21 |
6 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
35 |
42 |
19 |
4 |
* |
J. Unemployment
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
36 |
25 |
29 |
10 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
36 |
29 |
22 |
13 |
* |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
33 |
30 |
25 |
12 |
* |
|
2001 Mar 5-7 |
30 |
33 |
24 |
13 |
* |
K. The possibility of future terrorist attacks in the U.S.
|
Great |
Fair |
Only a |
Not |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2004 Mar 8-11 |
42 |
28 |
22 |
8 |
* |
|
2003 Mar 24-25 |
49 |
30 |
16 |
5 |
* |
|
2002 Mar 4-7 |
49 |
26 |
20 |
5 |
* |
SUMMARY TABLE: CONCERN ABOUT NATIONAL ISSUES
|
|
|
|
Only a |
Great deal/ |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
The availability and affordability of healthcare |
62 |
18 |
20 |
80 |
|
Crime and violence |
46 |
26 |
28 |
72 |
|
Drug use |
46 |
19 |
34 |
65 |
|
The possibility of future terrorist attacks in the U.S. |
42 |
28 |
30 |
70 |
|
The economy |
41 |
29 |
30 |
70 |
|
Illegal immigration |
37 |
22 |
40 |
59 |
|
Unemployment |
36 |
25 |
39 |
61 |
|
Hunger and homelessness |
35 |
29 |
36 |
64 |
|
The availability and affordability of energy |
35 |
28 |
36 |
63 |
|
The quality of the environment |
35 |
27 |
38 |
62 |
|
Race relations |
19 |
23 |
57 |
42 |