Inflation, health care and partisan divide among top concerns for Americans

Megan Butler

(CN) — A Pew Research Center survey released Wednesday found that the most problematic issues facing the nation according to American adults are inflation, health care affordability and the ability of Republicans and Democrats to work together.

Those topics were ranked major issues by 65%, 64% and 62% of respondents, respectively. Among the 16 issues included in the survey, cooperation between the two parties was one of the few on which there is no partisan divide.

The survey – conducted June 5-11 among 5,115 U.S. adults on Pew Research Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel – found wide differences along party lines in perceptions of most national problems.

Drug addiction (61%) and gun violence (60%) were also among the public's top picks for the nation's biggest problems. While only 8% more Republican or Republican-leaning individuals found drug addiction to be a "very big problem" in the nation compared to those who identified as Democrats, the issue of gun violence showed a much more stark partisan divide.

Gun violence was found to be the top concern among Democrats and Democratic leaners, with about eight-in-ten (81%) saying it is a very big problem in the country. Only 38% of Republican leaners said the same.

But the share of all respondents who said gun violence is a very big problem rose by 9 percentage points compared to last year's survey, as did those who said the same of health care affordability.

The affordability of health care ranked second among top issues for Democrats at 73%, followed by climate change at 64%.

Democrats are more than four times as likely to say that climate change is a very big problem in the country compared to Republicans, who gave the issue the lowest ranking along with racism.

Climate change was also ranked more important by younger adults under the age of 30, compared to those over 65.

Inflation remains the top concern among Republicans, with 77% saying it is a major problem. The federal budget deficit, illegal immigration and the state of moral values are also seen as big issues by at least two-thirds of Republicans.

While more than half of Democrats also agreed that inflation is a top issue, the other problems ranked highly by Republicans fell towards Democrats' lowest rankings of primary concerns. Nearly half of Democrats disagreed with Republicans on illegal immigration being one of the country's biggest problems.

The immigration issue also a vast difference in opinion based on age. About two-thirds (65%) of adults ages 65 and over say that illegal immigration is currently a very big problem, and only about two out of ten (22%) adults under the age of 30 say the same.

While the general public is more likely to say they agree with the Republican Party on issues regarding economic policy, crime and immigration, the survey found that they are more likely to agree with the Democratic Party on abortion, health care and climate change policies.

Neither party showed a significant edge over the other on education policy, gun policy or foreign policy.

For the most part, the percentage of Americans agreeing with each party on issues has not changed much over the past year, according to Pew.

However, there was a notable shift that gained the GOP a 10-point advantage on immigration policy compared to last July, when roughly equal shares of Americans said they agreed with each party – 38% with the GOP and 37% with Democrats.

In addition, the Democrats' 8-point lead on policies affecting LGBTQ+ people is much narrower than last year's survey. While 37% of the public said they agree with the party's policies, 29% agreed with the GOP and 33% said they agree with neither party.

Aside from partisan division, respondents from both parties also shared a mutual outlook on the issue of unemployment, giving it the lowest ranking of important issues by both Republicans and Democrats at just 23%.

Racism, domestic and international terrorism, and the condition of infrastructure were also lower on the American public's list of big national problems. Still, for these and other issues included on the survey, majorities rate each as at least moderately important.

The survey also asked participants if they approved or disapproved of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president. The results changed little from last year, with 35% of Americans approving of his job performance and 62% disapproving. Low
job performance ratings were also given for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.