President Joe Biden will deliver his third State of the Union address on March 7. Americans’ number one priority is strengthening the economy, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.

“No single issue stands out after the economy,” the Pew Research Center says. “Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) rate strengthening the economy as a top priority. That is considerably larger than the shares citing any other policy goal.”

Defending against terrorism (63%) and reducing the influence of money in politics (62%) round out the top three. This is followed by lowering healthcare costs, improving education and making Social Security financially sound, all of which 60% of Americans support.

The survey found most Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (84%) and Democrats and Democratic leaners (63%) are focused on strengthening America’s economy, reducing the budget deficit and improving the job market. Still, there remains a “wide partisan difference over most policy goals.” 

Democrats are more concerned about protecting the environment (63% vs. 23%) and addressing climate change than Republicans (59% vs. 12%). On the other hand, Republicans view immigration (76% vs. 39%) and strengthening the military as more of a priority than Democrats (56% vs. 23).

The survey also found that while Americans’ priorities for the country differed based on ethnicity and age, across all nationalities, nearly three-quarters agree that strengthening the economy is the top priority for 2024. Older and younger adults also found consensus on healthcare costs and improving education.

Most Americans say that all the policy objectives should be worked toward. However, some believe addressing climate change (12%), strengthening the military (8%) and addressing issues around race (7%) are neither a “top priority” nor an “important but lower priority.” Instead, they say these issues should not be pursued altogether.

Read the full report here.

____________________

More by Starlette Thomas
Share This