Health care, unemployment, immigration, and education top a lengthy and varied list of the American public’s policy priorities for the coming year. The public is eager for Washington to expend a significant amount of effort dealing with their concerns for the country. However, although Republicans will control the White House and both houses of Congress, Americans have little confidence that much headway will be made on these important problems.
A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals a diverse collection of issues that Americans want President-elect Donald Trump and his new administration to address in 2017. Allowed to cite up to five different issues, the public’s agenda includes problems that range from terrorism to taxes to race relations.
Republicans and Democrats agree on the number one top priority: health care. But there are substantial partisan differences on several high-profile problems, including the importance of the environment, immigration, education, and terrorism.
The nationwide poll of 1,017 adults was part of the AmeriSpeak® Omnibus, a monthly multi-client survey using NORC at the University of Chicago’s probability-based panel. Interviews were conducted between December 14 and 19, 2016, online and using landlines and cell phones.
Three Things You Should Know about
The AP-NORC Poll on Americans’ Priorities for 2017:
Among All American Adults
- The public has a variety of policy priorities. Republicans, Democrats, and independents prioritize many issues differently, but health care is a top priority for all.
- While desiring a sizeable amount of government attention for the most important problems, most lack confidence in Washington’s ability to make progress this year.
- In a turnaround from the end of 2015, most Republicans now consider the country to be on the right course, while Democrats have become more pessimistic.
