With the November midterms fast approaching, a Monmouth University poll asked respondents to identify the nine issues which they would like the federal government to tackle with the most urgency.
Between October 13 and 17, 46 percent of respondents identified inflation as their priority, followed by issues related to elections and voting (38 percent), crime (37 percent), immigration (34 percent), jobs and unemployment (32 percent), abortion (30 percent), racial inequality (25 percent), gun control (24 percent) and climate change (23 percent).
While concerns over inflation, elections and voting, crime, immigration and jobs and unemployment all show an increase of one or more percentage points from the previous month, fewer people identified abortion, racial inequality, gun control and climate change as America’s issue priorities in October compared with September.
Some 31 percent of respondents said abortion was an “extremely important” issue in September compared with October’s 30 percent, while the number of those concerned about racial inequality dropped from 27 to 25 percent. Respondents who identified concerns over gun control as a priority comprised 27 percent of those polled in September and 24 percent in October, while climate change was a priority for 24 percent in September and 23 percent in October.
The same poll found that 63 percent of respondents wish that Biden would pay more attention to these issues, with just 31 percent saying the president has been giving enough attention to the concerns of most American families. Some 6 percent didn’t know if Biden had given enough attention to those issues or not.
“Inflation has become even more front and center than it already was,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
“Inflation, immigration, and crime continue to spur GOP voters, along with an increased concern about elections and voting. The House committee calling the former president to testify about the U.S. Capitol attack may have helped raise the salience of this issue among voters who continue to falsely believe the 2020 election was stolen,” he added.
In August, Biden passed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at curbing surging inflation by reducing the deficit, lowering prescription drug prices and investing in domestically produced clean energy.
But economists have suggested that the legislation might take some time before showing results that will impact working families.
The rise of inflation as Americans’ top concern is reflected in the way respondents said the increased cost of living is affecting them, with 37 percent saying they were struggling to remain financially stable. Some 51 percent, on the other hand, said their financial situation was stable, while a minority of 11 percent said their financial situation was improving.
A majority of respondents, 67 percent, said recent increases in gas prices have caused them “a great deal of” or “some” financial hardship.
Nevertheless, support for Biden has grown in the previous month, although modestly. According to the Monmouth University poll, 40 percent of people approve of the job Biden is doing as president compared with 38 percent in September.
A majority of 53 percent disapprove of Biden’s work, one percentage point less than in September.
