Most Important Problem

Line graph: % of Americans saying economic issues are most important U.S. problem. High: 86%, Feb ‘09; now 14% (Dec ‘18).

What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?

	2018 Dec	2018 Nov	2018 Oct	2018 Sep	2018 Aug	2018 Jul	2018 Jun
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS (NET)	14	13	13	12	17	14	15
Economy in general	3	4	3	3	5	4	4
Unemployment/Jobs	3	3	3	2	4	2	3
Federal budget deficit/Federal debt	2	2	2	2	1	2	1
Gap between rich and poor	2	1	1	1	2	1	2
Lack of money	1	*	*	*	1	*	*
Wage issues	1	*	1	1	1	1	1
Taxes	1	1	1	*	2	1	1
Corporate corruption	1	*	1	1	1	*	*
Foreign trade/Trade deficit	1	*	1	*	1	1	1
High cost of living/Inflation	*	*	*	1	1	*	*
Fuel/Oil prices	*	*	*	--	--	1	1
NON-ECONOMIC PROBLEMS (NET)	84	86	81	82	80	81	81
The government/Poor leadership	19	18	27	29	21	19	19
Immigration	16	21	13	12	16	22	14
Unifying the country	8	9	6	7	6	6	4
Race relations/Racism	7	9	6	9	7	7	7
Poverty/Hunger/Homelessness	6	2	2	4	3	2	3
Healthcare	5	11	6	5	5	3	4
Environment/Pollution	5	2	3	1	2	2	2
Lack of respect for each other	5	6	5	4	5	6	4
Crime/Violence	4	1	1	1	2	1	2
Ethics/moral/religious/family decline	3	4	3	2	4	3	4
Guns/Gun control	3	2	1	2	2	2	4
Education	2	3	2	2	2	2	2
Judicial system/Courts/Laws	2	2	2	2	1	2	1
Drugs	2	1	1	1	2	1	1
International issues, problems	1	1	1	1	2	1	2
School shootings	1	1	1	*	*	1	1
Social Security	1	*	*	*	*	*	*
The media	1	1	3	1	2	1	2
National security	1	1	1	1	1	1	2
Abortion	*	*	2	*	1	1	*
Elections/Election reform	*	*	*	1	1	1	1
Situation with North Korea	*	*	*	*	1	1	1
Care for the elderly/Medicare	*	1	*	1	*	*	1
Terrorism	*	1	1	1	1	1	1
Foreign policy/Foreign aid/Focus overseas	*	1	1	1	*	1	*
Children's behavior/Way they are raised	*	1	*	*	*	1	1
Lack of military defense	*	--	--	*	*	--	*
Gay/Lesbian rights	*	*	*	--	--	--	*
Advancement of Computers/Technology	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Situation with Russia	*	--	--	*	1	*	*
Wars/War (nonspecific)/Fear of war	*	1	1	1	1	1	1
Situation in Iraq/ISIS	*	--	--	*	--	--	*
War/conflict between Middle East nations	*	*	--	--	*	*	*
Natural disaster response	*	--	--	--	*	--	--
Welfare	--	2	*	1	1	1	1
Other non-economic	6	4	7	7	5	7	5
No opinion	3	4	4	4	4	3	5
Total	120%	125%	117%	115%	121%	116%	112%
* Less than 0.5%; Percentages total more than 100% due to multiple mentions.
Gallup

Which political party do you think can do a better job of handling the problem you think is most important -- the Republican Party or the Democratic Party?

Based on those who name a most important problem

	Republican Party	Democratic Party	Same/Other/No opinion
	%	%	%
2018 Sep 4-12	40	41	19
2017 Sep 6-10	34	41	25
2016 Sep 7-11	42	38	20
2015 Sep 9-13	42	37	23
2014 Sep 4-7	40	36	25
2014 Jul 7-10	35	35	29
2013 Sep 5-8	34	39	27
2012 Sep 6-9	39	49	13
2011 Sep 8-11	44	37	19
2010 Sep 13-16	40	38	22
2009 Aug 31-Sep 2	34	45	20
2008 Sep 8-11	39	46	14
2007 Sep 14-16	30	47	22
2006 Sep 7-10	34	49	16
2005 Sep 12-15	39	40	21
2005 Jan 3-5	41	41	18
2004 Sep 13-15	46	43	11
2004 Jan 12-15	39	46	15
2002 Jul 26-28	38	36	26
2001 Jan 10-14	39	39	22
1999 Jan 15-17	33	43	24
1998 Apr 17-19	40	42	18
1997 Jan 10-13	33	43	24
1996 Jul 25-28	37	41	22
1996 May 9-12	40	44	16
1995 Jan 16-18	42	32	26
1994 Oct 22-25	41	37	22
1994 Aug 15-16	38	37	25
1994 Aug 8-9	39	37	24
1994 Jul 15-17	39	32	29
1994 Jan	31	39	30
1993 Sep 10-12	31	37	32
1993 Jan 8-11	29	45	26
1992 Mar 26-29	34	40	26
1991 Jul 11-14	36	28	36
1991 Mar 7-10	40	27	33
1990 Oct	30	29	41
1988 Sep	38	33	29
1988 May 9-11	27	40	33
1987 Apr 10-13	29	37	34
1986 Jan 10-13	33	28	39
1985 Jan 25-28	39	29	32
1984 Aug 10-13	39	37	24
1984 Feb 10-13	30	32	38
1983 Nov 18-21	28	35	37
1982 Aug 13-16	26	35	39
1981 Jan 8-11	39	20	41
1980 Mar 28-31	28	32	40
1979 Oct 12-15	25	33	42
1976 Apr 23-26	18	39	43
1975 Oct 17-20	15	42	43
1972 Aug	28	34	38
1968 May	30	28	42
1964 Apr 24-29	16	40	44
1960 Feb 4-9	24	32	44
1956 Sep 20-25	55	45	--
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