GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- With the midterm congressional elections just about 10 months away, a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds that the war in Iraq, terrorism, healthcare, and government corruption are the most important issues guiding Americans' votes for Congress this fall. Republicans and Democrats differ significantly in their rankings of the top issues, with Republicans more inclined to say terrorism will be extremely important to their votes and Democrats more likely to say this about healthcare and Social Security.
The poll, conducted Jan. 6-8, asked Americans to rate how important 12 issues will be to their votes for Congress this November. More than 4 in 10 Americans say four issues -- Iraq, terrorism, healthcare, and government corruption -- will be extremely important.
Next on the list are the economy (38% say it will be extremely important), Social Security (36%), taxes (33%), and gas prices (33%).
And, fewer than 3 in 10 Americans say the following issues will be extremely important to their votes this fall: government surveillance of U.S. citizens (29%), abortion (27%), immigration (26%), and the Patriot Act (26%).
The perceived importance of gas prices and the economy have declined since Gallup last asked this question in October. At that time, 41% of Americans said gas prices would be extremely important to their votes; now, with Americans paying less at the pump, this sentiment has decreased to 33%. Americans are also slightly less likely to say the economy will be extremely important to their votes, dropping from 43% last October to 38%.
The percentage of Americans who say abortion will be extremely important to their votes actually increased in the latest poll, compared with a poll conducted in September 2002. At that time, 18% said abortion would be extremely important, while now 27% say it will be that important. The increase in the importance of the abortion issue this year could result from the focus on the issue during the Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.
Republicans, Democrats Differ on Issue Importance
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say terrorism will be extremely important to their votes this November, while Democrats are more inclined than Republicans to say domestic issues will be extremely important.
|
Importance of Issues by Party Affiliation |
||||
|
|
Republicans |
Independents |
Democrats |
Difference (Republicans |
|
% |
% |
% |
|
|
|
Terrorism |
51 |
37 |
45 |
+6 |
|
Abortion |
30 |
24 |
28 |
+2 |
|
Immigration |
28 |
22 |
27 |
1 |
|
The Patriot Act |
26 |
24 |
28 |
-2 |
|
The situation in Iraq |
45 |
42 |
49 |
-4 |
|
Taxes |
31 |
31 |
36 |
-5 |
|
The economy |
37 |
30 |
48 |
-11 |
|
Corruption in government |
37 |
44 |
49 |
-12 |
|
Gas prices |
29 |
26 |
43 |
-14 |
|
Government surveillance of U.S. citizens |
22 |
29 |
37 |
-15 |
|
Social Security |
29 |
32 |
47 |
-18 |
|
Healthcare |
34 |
42 |
54 |
-20 |
The most dramatic partisan differences involve healthcare and Social Security. A majority of Democrats (54%) say healthcare will be extremely important to their votes this November, compared with only about a third (34%) of Republicans. Forty-seven percent of Democrats, and only 29% of Republicans, say Social Security will be extremely important.
Democrats are also substantially more likely than Republicans to say government surveillance of U.S. citizens (by a respective margin of 37% to 22%), gas prices (43% to 29%), government corruption (49% to 37%), and the economy (48% to 37%) will be extremely important.
Terrorism is the only issue that Republicans are slightly more inclined than Democrats to deem extremely important. A slight majority of Republicans, 51%, say terrorism will be extremely important to their votes this fall, while 45% of Democrats share that point of view.
Survey Methods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,003 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Jan. 6-8, 2006. 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.
7. How important will each of the following issues be to your vote for Congress this year -- will it be -- extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?
A. The economy
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
38 |
45 |
14 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
43 |
41 |
15 |
1 |
* |
|
2002 Sep 20-22 ^ |
37 |
44 |
17 |
2 |
* |
|
2002 Aug 19-21 ^ |
34 |
44 |
17 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
|||||
|
^WORDING: Economic conditions |
|||||
B. Terrorism
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
45 |
35 |
16 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
45 |
32 |
19 |
4 |
* |
|
2002 Sep 20-22 ^ |
47 |
36 |
13 |
3 |
1 |
|
^Asked of a half sample |
|||||
C. Healthcare
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
43 |
39 |
15 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
42 |
37 |
18 |
3 |
* |
|
2002 Sep 20-22 ^ |
35 |
39 |
22 |
4 |
* |
|
^Asked of a half sample |
|||||
D. The situation in Iraq
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
45% |
40 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
44% |
37 |
13 |
4 |
2 |
E. Gas prices
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
33% |
33 |
26 |
8 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
41% |
29 |
22 |
8 |
* |
F. Social Security
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
36 |
43 |
18 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
38 |
37 |
20 |
5 |
* |
|
2002 Sep 20-22 ^ |
34 |
37 |
24 |
5 |
* |
|
2002 Aug 19-21 |
34 |
36 |
21 |
7 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
^Asked of a half sample |
|||||
G. Taxes
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
33 |
38 |
24 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
35 |
38 |
23 |
3 |
1 |
|
2002 Sep 20-22 ^ |
27 |
33 |
32 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
^Asked of a half sample |
|||||
H. Corruption in government
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
43% |
38 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Oct 21-23 |
45% |
36 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
I. Immigration
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
26% |
35 |
29 |
9 |
1 |
J. Abortion
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
27% |
25 |
25 |
21 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002 Sep 20-22 |
18% |
28 |
24 |
28 |
2 |
K. Government surveillance of U.S. citizens
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
29% |
30 |
27 |
12 |
2 |
L. The Patriot Act
|
Extremely |
Very |
Moderately |
Not that |
No |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 Jan 6-8 |
26% |
32 |
27 |
9 |
5 |