Americans are becoming more concerned about immigration and U.S. involvement overseas, but the economy remains the number one issue overall for voters as we head into the 2024 election year, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Asked what problems they think the government should be focused on this year, more respondents (76%) cited economic issues than topics in any other category. Inflation was the most frequently cited economic concern, with 30% of respondents mentioning it. Unemployment (11%), poverty (16%) and government spending and debt (13%) also earned mentions.
As with many topics, respondents showed significant partisan differences on economic issues. About 85% of Republicans cited an economic issue as a top concern, compared to 65% of Democrats. Republicans were more focused on inflation, with 41% of Republicans saying it was a top concern compared to 24% of Democrats. And Republicans were more concerned with debt, the deficit and government spending, with 22% citing those issues, compared to just 7% of Democrats.
Overall, 13% of respondents cited fiscal issues as a top concern for 2024 – a big jump from the 5% who did so last year. The increase in concern is likely related to the repeated showdowns over the debt limit last year and the ongoing challenge of funding the government in the current fiscal year.
The nationwide poll of 1,074 adults was conducted between November 30 and December 4, 2023.
