Interesting.
Americans remain most likely to say the government is the greatest problem facing the U.S., with 20% naming some aspect of the federal government or its elected leaders as the nation’s top problem. This month’s figure is on the lower end of the 18% to 25% range of Americans who have seen government as the country’s top problem since President Donald Trump took office last year. It was a bit lower than that for the three years prior.
Background: Americans have been most likely to cite government dysfunction or poor performance by specific elected leaders as the top U.S. problem for 17 months in a row, though it has shared the top spot twice in that time — with the economy at 11% in January 2017 and with healthcare at 18% in May 2017. Government as the top national problem garnered even greater percentages during and after the federal government shutdown in 2013 — receiving 33% of mentions in October and 26% of mentions in November of that year. Before 2013, this issue had not hit the 20% threshold since 1974.
Snapshot: Government Remains Top Problem for U.S.
Americans remain most likely to name poor leadership or government (20%) as the top U.S. problem, followed by immigration (10%) and race relations (7%).