Problems and Priorities

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Problems and Priorities See also: President Obama | Campaign '08

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

CBS News/New York Times Poll. June 12-16, 2009. N=895 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"What is the most important problem facing the country today?" Open-ended
			.
		%
	Economy and jobs	57
	Health care/Health insurance	7
	War/Peace (general)	2
	War in Iraq	2
	Education	2
	Budget deficit/National debt	2
	Bailouts	2
	Other	23
	Unsure	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). June 12-15, 2009. N=1,008 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
			.
"Let me list some issues that have been proposed for the federal government to address. Please tell me which one of these items you think should be the top priority for the federal government. [See below.]" If more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just one, which do you think should be the top priority?"
			.
		%
	Job creation and economic growth	31
	The deficit and government spending	19
	Health care	16
	National security and terrorism	14
	The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan	9
	Energy and the cost of gas	5
	Social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage	2
	All equally (vol.)	3
	Unsure	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. April 23-26, 2009. N=2,019 adults nationwide. MoE ą 2.
				.
"Which of the following is the most important issue facing the country today: [see below]?" Options rotated
				.
		4/23-26/09	3/12-15/09
		%	%
	The economy	55	63
	The federal budget deficit	10	8
	Health care	9	9
	The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan	9	6
	Education	6	5
	Terrorism	6	5
	Energy policy	3	2
	Other (vol.)	1	1
	Unsure	1	-

CBS News/New York Times Poll. April 1-5, 2009. N=998 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Beside the economy, which of these domestic policy areas do you want the President and Congress to concentrate on MOST right now: health care, energy, education, or Social Security?"
			.
		%
	Health care	35
	Education	22
	Social Security	17
	Energy	15
	Other/Combination (vol.)	9
	Unsure	2

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Feb. 18-19, 2009. N=1,046 adults nationwide.
					.
"How important is it to you that the President and Congress deal with each of the following issues in the next year? Will it be extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important? . . ." Most items asked of half the sample
					.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Moderately Important	Not That Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"The economy"
	2/18-19/09	70	25	3	2	-
					.
	"Terrorism"
	2/18-19/09	51	31	14	4	-
					.
	"Education"
	2/18-19/09	48	33	15	4	-
					.
	"Health care"
	2/18-19/09	48	29	17	6	-
					.
	"Social Security and Medicare"
	2/18-19/09	46	37	13	4	-
					.
	"Taxes"
	2/18-19/09	43	33	20	4	-
					.
	"The situation in Iraq"
	2/18-19/09	43	32	20	4	1
					.
	"The situation in Afghanistan"
	2/18-19/09	41	35	20	4	-
					.
	"Energy policy"
	2/18-19/09	35	38	20	7	-
					.
	"Illegal immigration"
	2/18-19/09	33	29	28	10	-
					.
	"The environment"
	2/18-19/09	29	34	25	11	1
					.
	"Stem cell research"
	2/18-19/09	17	16	40	25	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Jan. 11-15, 2009. N=1,112 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?" Open-ended
			.
		%
	Economy/Jobs	60
	War in Iraq	3
	Moral values/Family values	3
	Education	2
	Health care/Health insurance	2
	Poverty	2
	Budget/Deficit	2
	Oil dependency/Energy policy	2
	Politicians/Corruption	2
	Other	20
	Unsure	2
			.
"What is the single most important thing you would like to see Barack Obama accomplish in the next four years as president?" Open-ended
			.
		%
	Improve the economy	40
	Create jobs in the U.S.	11
	Address/end Iraq war	10
	Health insurance plan	8
	Make the U.S. better (general)	5
	Change foreign policy	2
	Keep country safe	2
	Bring bipartisanship	2
	Other	16
	Unsure/No answer	4

Pew Research Center survey. Jan. 7-11, 2009. N=1,503 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all adults).
						.
"Right now, which is more important for President-elect Obama to focus on: domestic policy or foreign policy?"
						.
		Domestic Policy	Foreign Policy	Both (vol.)	Unsure	.
		%	%	%	%	.
	1/7-11/09	71	11	14	4	.
						.
"I'd like to ask you some questions about priorities for President-elect Obama and Congress this year. As I read from a list, tell me if you think the item that I read should be a top priority, important but lower priority, not too important or should it not be done. Should [see below] be a top priority, important but lower priority, not too important, or should it not be done?" Asked of half the sample (MoE ą 4), except where noted. Jan. 2006: ". . . priorities for President Bush and Congress . . . ."
						.
		Top Priority	Lower Priority	Not Too Important	Should Not Be Done	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
						.
	"Strengthening the nation's economy" Full sample
	1/7-11/09	85	12	1	1	1
	1/4-8/06	66	26	5	1	2
						.
	"Improving the job situation"
	1/7-11/09	82	15	1	1	1
	1/4-8/06	65	28	4	1	2
						.
	"Defending the country from future terrorist attacks"
	1/7-11/09	76	18	3	1	2
	1/4-8/06	80	18	1	-	1
						.
	"Taking steps to make the Social Security system financially sound"
	1/7-11/09	63	31	3	1	2
	1/4-8/06	64	28	4	2	2
						.
	"Improving the educational system"
	1/7-11/09	61	30	5	2	2
	1/4-8/06	67	26	4	2	1
						.
	"Dealing with the nation's energy problem"
	1/7-11/09	60	32	5	1	2
	1/4-8/06	58	33	6	1	2
						.
	"Taking steps to make the Medicare system financially sound"
	1/7-11/09	60	32	5	1	2
	1/4-8/06	62	30	4	2	2
						.
	"Reducing health care costs"
	1/7-11/09	59	30	5	4	2
						.
	"Reducing the budget deficit"
	1/7-11/09	53	33	7	3	4
	1/4-8/06	55	35	5	1	4
						.
	"Providing health insurance to the uninsured"
	1/7-11/09	52	33	6	6	3
	1/4-8/06	59	30	6	2	3
						.
	"Dealing with the problems of poor and needy people"
	1/7-11/09	50	39	6	3	2
	1/4-8/06	55	36	6	1	2
						.
	"Reducing crime"
	1/7-11/09	46	41	9	2	2
	1/4-8/06	62	29	6	1	2
						.
	"Dealing with the moral breakdown in the country"
	1/7-11/09	45	29	16	6	4
	1/4-8/06	47	26	14	9	4
						.
	"Strengthening the U.S. military"
	1/7-11/09	44	39	8	4	5
	1/4-8/06	42	36	13	6	3
						.
	"Reducing federal income taxes for the middle class"
	1/7-11/09	43	39	10	4	4
	1/4-8/06	51	32	8	5	4
						.
	"Protecting the environment"
	1/7-11/09	41	42	12	3	2
	1/4-8/06	57	35	6	1	1
						.
	"Dealing with the issue of illegal immigration"
	1/7-11/09	41	36	18	3	2
						.
	"Reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in Washington"
	1/7-11/09	36	34	18	5	7
						.
	"Dealing with global trade issues"
	1/7-11/09	31	49	11	2	7
	1/4-8/06	30	46	11	5	8
						.
	"Dealing with global warming"
	1/7-11/09	30	37	19	10	4

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Dec. 19-21, 2008. N=1,013 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Which of the following is the most important issue facing the country today: [see below]?" Options rotated
			.
		%
	The economy	75
	Health care	7
	The war in Iraq	6
	Terrorism	6
	Illegal immigration	5
	Other (vol.)	1

AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. Nov. 6-10, 2008. N=1,001 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
					.
"How much of a priority should each of the following be for the new president? Would you say each one should be a top priority, an important but lower priority, not an important priority, or should not be done. How about [see below]?"
					.
		Top Priority	Important	Not Important	Should Not Be Done	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	"Improving the economy"
	11/6-10/08	84	14	1	1	0
					.
	"Creating jobs"
	11/6-10/08	80	15	2	1	1
					.
	"Reducing the federal budget deficit"
	11/6-10/08	61	31	5	1	2
					.
	"Stabilizing the nation's financial institutions"
	11/6-10/08	61	26	5	6	3
					.
	"Removing most troops from Iraq by 2010"
	11/6-10/08	51	27	8	10	5
					.
	"Dealing with the problems of poor people"
	11/6-10/08	50	38	8	2	1
					.
	"Implementing a national health care plan"
	11/6-10/08	50	26	9	14	1
					.
	"Protecting the environment"
	11/6-10/08	49	40	8	2	1
					.
	"Allowing off-shore drilling for oil"
	11/6-10/08	37	36	13	11	3
					.
	"Cutting personal tax rates"
	11/6-10/08	36	44	11	6	4
					.
	"Eliminating the previous tax cuts for couples earning more than $250,000 a year"
	11/6-10/08	29	30	19	18	4

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Nov. 7-9, 2008. N=1,010 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Now, looking ahead to next January when Barack Obama will take office as president -- Which of the following should be Barack Obama's top priority as president: the economy, health care, the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, energy, the federal budget deficit, or something else?" Options rotated
			.
		%
	Economy	64
	Iraq and Afghanistan	11
	Federal deficit	7
	Energy	6
	Health care	5
	Something else	3
	All (vol.)	3

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Nov. 1-2, 2008. N=971 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3 (for all likely voters).
					.
"Which one of the following issues will be the most important in deciding your vote for president: [see below]?" Options rotated
					.
		ALL	Demo- crats	Repub- licans	Indepen- dents
		%	%	%	%
	Economy and jobs	49	63	33	48
	Terrorism and national security	9	1	19	6
	Health care	8	11	4	7
	Taxes	8	5	12	5
	War in Iraq	7	8	3	10
	Ethics/government corruption	6	3	7	8
	Abortion	6	2	11	4
	Energy	3	3	2	3
	Immigration	2	-	3	2
	Other (vol.)	3	2	4	5
	Unsure	1	1	1	1

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2008. N=714 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
				.
"Which of the following issues will be MOST important to you when you decide how to vote for president: [see below]?" Options rotated
				.
		10/30 - 11/1/08	9/19-21/08
		%	%
	Economy	57	58
	War in Iraq	13	9
	Health care	13	13
	Terrorism	10	13
	Illegal immigration	5	5
	Other (vol.)	2	2
	Unsure	1	-

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Oct. 25-29, 2008. N=1,308 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"In deciding who you would like to see elected president this year, which one of the following issues will be most important to you: terrorism and national security, the economy and jobs, health care, the war in Iraq, gas prices and energy policy, illegal immigration, or something else?"

		%
	The economy and jobs	55
	Terrorism and national security	13
	Health care	9
	Gas prices and energy policy	7
	The war in Iraq	6
	Illegal immigration	4
	Something else	6

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 22-23, 2008. N=1,092 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"Which ONE of the following ISSUES is MOST important in determining your vote for president this year? The economy and jobs. Taxes and government spending. The Iraq war. Terrorism and national security. Energy policy and gas prices. Issues like abortion, guns, and same-sex marriage. Health care." Options rotated
					.
		10/22-23/08	10/8-9/08	9/10-11/08
		%	%	%
	Economy and jobs	44	48	39
	Taxes, government spending	14	10	14
	Terrorism, national security	12	8	10
	Health care	8	9	7
	Iraq war	7	8	10
	Abortion, guns, marriage	6	6	8
	Energy policy, gas prices	5	8	8
	Other/None of these (vol.)	1	1	1
	Unsure	3	2	3

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Neil Newhouse (R). Sept. 19-22, 2008. N=1,085 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"I'm going to mention four sets of issues. Please tell me which ONE of the following sets of issues is most important to you in deciding for whom you will vote in the presidential election. Economic issues, including job losses, home foreclosures, and energy prices. Social issues related to moral values, including gay rights, guns rights, and sex education for young children. Domestic issues, including health care, education, and the environment. Foreign policy issues, including Iraq, Russia, and the war on terrorism."

		%
	Economic issues	57
	Domestic issues	17
	Foreign policy issues	15
	Social issues	10
	Unsure	1

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Sept. 10-11, 2008. N=1,038 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.8 (for all registered voters).
					.
"Which ONE of the following ISSUES is MOST important in determining your vote for president this year? The economy and jobs. Taxes and government spending. The Iraq war. Terrorism and national security. Energy policy and gas prices. Issues like abortion, guns, and same-sex marriage. Health care." Options rotated
					.
		ALL	Obama Supporters	McCain Supporters
		%	%	%
	Economy and jobs	39	55	23
	Taxes, government spending	14	7	22
	Iraq war	10	15	5
	Terrorism, national security	10	2	18
	Energy policy, gas prices	8	7	9
	Abortion, guns, marriage	8	3	13
	Health care	7	9	4
	Other/None of these (vol.)	1	-	1
	Unsure	3	2	5

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Sept. 5-7, 2008. N=1,022 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"If you had to choose, which of the following issues will be most important to your vote for president: the economy, terrorism, the situation in Iraq, health care, energy, including gas prices, or some other issue?" Options rotated

		%
	The economy	42
	The situation in Iraq	13
	Energy, including gas prices	13
	Health care	13
	Terrorism	12
	Illegal immigration (vol.)	1
	Abortion (vol.)	1
	Education (vol.)	1
	Other	4
	Unsure	1

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by Financial Dynamics. Aug. 29-31, 2008. N=805 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
			.
"And, thinking about the upcoming presidential election, if you had to choose which ONE of the following issues will be MOST important to you when you decide how to vote for president: [see below]?"
			.
		%
	The economy	46
	America's energy policies	19
	The war in Iraq	17
	Health care	13
	Other (vol.)	1
	Unsure	4

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Neil Newhouse (R). Aug. 15-18, 2008. N=1,005 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.1.
			.
"Let me list some issues that have been proposed for the federal government to address. Please tell me which one of these items you think should be the top priority for the federal government. [See below.]" If more than one: "Well, if you had to choose just one, which do you think should be the top priority?"
			.
		%
	Job creation and economic growth	27
	Energy and the cost of gas	18
	Health care	14
	The war in Iraq	13
	Terrorism	9
	Illegal immigration	8
	The mortgage and housing situation	4
	The situation with Russia and the nation of Georgia	2
	Other	1
	All equally (vol.)	4

CBS News Poll. July 31-Aug. 5, 2008. N=906 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.

"Which one issue would you most like to hear the candidates for president discuss during the 2008 presidential campaign?" Open-ended

		%
	Economy/Jobs	36
	War in Iraq	17
	Gas/Heating oil crisis	9
	Health care/Medicare/Medicaid	8
	Environment	5
	Immigration	2
	Defense/Military	2
	Taxes/IRS	2
	Other	11
	Unsure	8

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. June 26-29, 2008. N=906 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"How important will each of the following be to your vote for president? Will it be extremely important, very important, moderately important, or not that important? . . ."
					.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Moderately Important	Not That Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
					.
	The economy
	6/26-29/08	58	35	6	1	-
					.
	The situation in Iraq
	6/26-29/08	50	34	13	3	-
					.
	Gas prices
	6/26-29/08	48	29	17	5	-
					.
	Health care
	6/26-29/08	47	36	14	3	-
					.
	Terrorism
	6/26-29/08	45	32	18	4	-
					.
	Education
	6/26-29/08	44	39	14	3	-
					.
	Social Security and Medicare
	6/26-29/08	41	36	18	4	-
					.
	Taxes
	6/26-29/08	40	34	22	5	-
					.
	Illegal immigration
	6/26-29/08	34	33	24	9	1
					.
	The environment
	6/26-29/08	33	33	27	7	-
					.
	Foreign trade
	6/26-29/08	29	36	27	7	1
					.
	Gun policy
	6/26-29/08	26	27	28	19	-
					.
	Abortion
	6/26-29/08	24	26	25	25	-
					.
	Race relations
	6/26-29/08	19	29	28	23	-
					.
	Policies toward gays and lesbians
	6/26-29/08	16	20	27	37	-

Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. June 18-25, 2008. N=805 likely voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"Here are some issues in the news these days. Please tell me how important the issue is to you personally in voting in this year's presidential election. Is [see below] an issue that is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important to you?"
					.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%	%
					.	.	.
	"The nation's economy"
	6/18-25/08	50	44	5	-	1	-
					.	.	.
	"Gas prices at the pump"
	6/18-25/08	47	34	15	2	1	1
					.	.	.
	"The situation in Iraq"
	6/18-25/08	43	43	11	1	1	1
					.	.	.
	"Health care"
	6/18-25/08	43	38	15	3	1	-
					.	.	.
	"Your own economic well-being"
	6/18-25/08	43	38	14	3	1	1
					.	.	.
	"Education"
	6/18-25/08	40	41	15	2	2	-
					.	.	.
	"Terrorism"
	6/18-25/08	40	41	14	4	1	1
					.	.	.
	"Strengthening Social Security and Medicare"
	6/18-25/08	34	40	20	4	1	1
					.	.	.
	"Taxes"
	6/18-25/08	30	39	24	4	2	1
					.	.	.
	"Immigration"
	6/18-25/08	24	33	30	9	3	1
					.	.	.
	"Global warming"
	6/18-25/08	22	29	25	12	10	1
					.	.	.
	"So-called 'values issues,' such as abortion and gay marriage"
	6/18-25/08	20	27	30	10	11	3

USA Today/Gallup Poll. June 15-19, 2008. N=1,625 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Now I am going to read a list of some of the issues that will probably be discussed in this years presidential election campaign. As I read each one, please tell me how important the candidates' positions on that issue will be in influencing your vote for president: extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not important. How about [see below]?"
			.
		Extremely/ Very Important
		%
			.
	The economy	91
			.
	Energy, including gas prices	90
			.
	The situation in Iraq	85
			.
	Health care	80
			.
	Terrorism	76
			.
	Taxes	72
			.
	Moral values	69
			.
	Illegal immigration	59

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by Financial Dynamics. June 5-8, 2008. N=approx. 400 registered voters nationwide.
					.
"Which political party -- the Democrats or the Republicans -- do you think would do the best job handling [see below]?"
					.
		Democrats	Republicans	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%
					.
	"The nation's health care"
	6/5-8/08	54	24	10	11
					.
	"The nation's economy"
	6/5-8/08	54	28	8	9
					.
	"The war in Iraq"
	6/5-8/08	46	34	9	11

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. May 21-25, 2008. N=1,242 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.5.
					.
"Now I'd like to ask about how important some issues are to you. In making your decision about who to vote for this fall, will the issue of [see below] be very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important?"
					.
		Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	The economy
	5/21-25/08	88	9	1	1	1
					.
	Education
	5/21-25/08	78	17	3	1	1
					.
	Jobs
	5/21-25/08	78	17	3	1	1
					.
	Health care
	5/21-25/08	78	17	3	2	-
					.
	Energy
	5/21-25/08	77	20	2	-	1
					.
	Social Security
	5/21-25/08	75	19	4	1	1
					.
	Iraq
	5/21-25/08	72	20	4	2	2
					.
	The federal budget deficit
	5/21-25/08	69	21	4	3	3
					.
	Taxes
	5/21-25/08	68	24	5	2	1
					.
	Terrorism
	5/21-25/08	68	23	6	2	1
					.
	The environment
	5/21-25/08	62	27	8	3	-
					.
	Moral values
	5/21-25/08	62	24	7	6	1
					.
	Immigration
	5/21-25/08	54	32	9	3	2
					.
	Trade policy
	5/21-25/08	51	38	6	1	4
					.
	Abortion
	5/21-25/08	40	27	15	15	3
					.
	Gay marriage
	5/21-25/08	28	21	19	29	3

*ABC News/Washington Post* Poll. May 8-11, 2008. N=1,122 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3. Fieldwork by TNS.
				.
"Thinking ahead to the November presidential election, what is the single most important issue in your choice for president?" Open-ended
				.
		5/08	9/07
		%	%
	Economy/Jobs	36	11
	War in Iraq	21	35
	Health care	6	13
	Terrorism/National security	4	6
	Ethics/Corruption in government	3	6
	Other	21	20
	Unsure	6	9

Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll. May 1-8, 2008. N=1,986 registered voters nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"What issue or problem do you consider the top priority for candidates running for president to address this election? Is it the war in Iraq, or protecting the country from terrorist attacks, or the economy, or education, or the environment, or health care issues, or illegal immigration, or other social issues, such as abortion and gay rights, or is there another issue?" Up to two replies accepted
			.
		%
	The economy	56
	War in Iraq	34
	Health care issues	11
	Illegal immigration	11
	Education	8
	Terrorist attacks	7
	The environment	4
	Other social issues	2
	Another issue	6
	None/All (vol.)	9
	Unsure	1

CBS News/New York Times Poll. March 28-April 2, 2008. N=1,368 adults nationwide. MoE 3.
			.
"What do you think is the most important problem facing the country today?" Open-ended
			.
		%
	Economy/Jobs	37
	War in Iraq	15
	Gas/Heating oil crisis	7
	Health care	6
	Immigration	3
	Other	30
	Unsure	2

Gallup Poll. March 6-9, 2008. N=1,012 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
			.
"Next I'm going to read a list of problems facing the country. For each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. How much do you personally worry about [see below]?"
			.
		Great Deal	Fair Amount	Only a Little/ Not at All
		%	%	%
			.
	"The economy"	60	30	10
			.
	"The availability and affordability of health care"	58	23	18
			.
	"Crime and violence"	49	31	19
			.
	"The availability and affordability of energy"	47	35	17
			.
	"The Social Security system"	46	29	24
			.
	"Drug use"	43	24	33
			.
	"The quality of the environment"	40	34	26
			.
	"The possibility of future terrorist attacks in the U.S."	40	33	27
			.
	"Illegal immigration"	40	30	30
			.
	"Hunger and homelessness"	38	35	26
			.
	"Unemployment"	36	32	31
			.
	"Race relations"	18	27	54

Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Feb. 20-24, 2008. N=approx. 750 adults nationwide. MoE ą 4.
					.
"Next, please tell me if you think the REPUBLICAN Party or the DEMOCRATIC Party could do a better job in each of the following areas. Which party could do a better job of [see below]?"
					.
		Republican Party	Democratic Party	Both Equally (vol.)	Neither (vol.)	Unsure
		%	%	%	%	%
	Dealing with the terrorist threat at home
	2/20-24/08	45	38	6	4	7
					.
	Making wise decisions about foreign policy
	2/20-24/08	40	45	4	4	7
					.
	Dealing with immigration
	2/20-24/08	38	43	4	6	9
					.
	Making wise decisions about what to do in Iraq
	2/20-24/08	37	47	3	5	8
					.
	Dealing with taxes
	2/20-24/08	37	49	2	5	7
					.
	Improving morality in this country
	2/20-24/08	34	44	4	9	9
					.
	Dealing with the economy
	2/20-24/08	34	53	2	5	6
					.
	Improving the educational system
	2/20-24/08	26	55	6	6	7
					.
	Reforming the U.S. health care system
	2/20-24/08	26	56	3	8	7
					.
	Reforming government in Washington
	2/20-24/08	25	50	4	11	10
					.
	Dealing with the nation's energy problems
	2/20-24/08	23	57	5	5	10
					.
	Protecting the environment
	2/20-24/08	21	65	3	5	6

Fortune Magazine poll conducted by Abt SRBI. Jan. 14-16, 2008. N=1,000 adults nationwide. MoE ą 3.
					.
"To start with, I am going to name some issues that are in the news these days. Please tell me how important the issue is to you personally, in voting in this year's presidential election. Is [see below] an issue that is extremely important to you, very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not at all important to you?"
					.
		Extremely Important	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Too Important	Not at All Important
		%	%	%	%	%
	The nation's economy	46	41	12	1	1
					.
	Health care	44	37	14	3	2
					.
	The situation in Iraq	42	42	12	2	2
					.
	Terrorism	41	37	15	4	2
					.
	Education	39	41	15	3	2
					.
	Social Security	35	36	23	4	2
					.
	Taxes	32	39	21	5	2
					.
	Immigration	27	33	26	10	4
					.
	Global warming	20	28	27	11	12
					.
	Abortion	20	25	25	12	14
					.
	U.S. trade with foreign nations	18	34	35	7	4

Earlier polls on problems and priorities

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