Politics - AP-NORC

2026: The public’s priorities and expectations

The American public’s priorities for the government in 2026 span a wide variety of issues from economic and personal finance issues to policy areas like health care and immigration to concerns about how well Washington is functioning.

The Latest

Politics

Trump’s approval rating slips on the economy and immigration

Approval of Trump’s handling of the economy and immigration are down about 10 points since March. Border security remains Trump’s best issue with 50% approval.

Economics

Trump’s approval rating remains low during government shutdown

Approval of how Trump is handling the federal government has dropped sharply since March.

Civil Liberties and Security

Many concerned about political violence and threats to free speech across the ideological spectrum

Half of the public believes that the freedom of speech is under major threat and the public views this similarly regardless of the ideology of the speaker. Four in 10 are concerned about threats to both liberals’ and conservatives’ free speech.

Environment, Energy, and Resilience

Public attitudes toward climate policy, technology, and the environment

Americans express higher levels of concern over artificial intelligence’s environmental impact than that of cryptocurrencies, meat production, or air travel.