In this 2018 survey, eight percent of respondents stated they think the biggest problem for the United States today is Donald Trump. In fact, most of the important problems mentioned are somehow related to the current POTUS – the most mentioned one being immigration and racism.

A country divided

Since Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, political camps in the United States are deeply divided and global politics is in turmoil; Trump’s job approval ratings are notoriously low, and in fact, they are lower than Reagan’s or Nixon’s averages ever were. Trump’s leadership is controversial at best and his executive orders often cause protests, especially among Democrats and liberals – like the travel ban for Muslims.

On the other side

One of Trump’s main campaign promises was a wall on the border with Mexico in order to keep potential illegal immigrants out and enhance security for American citizens. When he did not get the majority for this plan, he declared a national emergency to force the budget to be allocated, even though the majority of Americans did not support this idea, and it is unclear if the situation at the Mexican border actually warrants it. In fact, the total number of unauthorized immigrants has decreased over the last few years and today, many Americans believe that their country benefits from immigrants and their work .

In December 2024, 11 percent of survey respondents said that the most important problem facing the United States was the high cost of living and inflation. Another 20percent said that the government and poor leadership was the most serious concern for the nation.

According to the data from January 2024, 22 percent of respondents said that rising health care costs were the most important health issue facing the United States. Mental health ranked second on the list with 15 percent. Issues with healthcare costsCurrently, the most urgent problem facing American healthcare is the high costs of care. The high expense of healthcare may deter people from getting the appropriate treatment when they need medical care or cause them to completely forego preventative care visits. Many Americans reported that they may skip prescription doses or refrain from taking medication as prescribed due to financial concerns. Such health-related behavior can result in major health problems, which may raise the long-term cost of care. Inflation, medical debt, and unforeseen medical expenses have all added to the burden that health costs are placing on household income. Gun violence issueThe gun violence epidemic has plagued the United States over the past few years, yet very little has been done to address the issue. In recent years, gun violence has become the leading cause of death among American children and teens. Even though more than half of Americans are in favor of tougher gun control regulations, there is little political will to strongly reform the current gun law. Gun violence has a deep traumatic impact on survivors and society, it is developing into a major public health crisis in the United States.

This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. In this poll, respondents were asked about President Ronald Reagan's performance in office and the government's handling of the economy, with a special focus on United States involvement in Latin America. Demographic information on respondents includes age, sex, race, educational level, employment status, political party affiliation, voting history, and marital status.

This study is part of a quadrennial series designed to investigate the opinions and attitudes of the general public on matters related to foreign policy, and to define the parameters of public opinion within which decision-makers must operate. This public opinion study of the United States focused on respondents' opinions of the United States' leadership role in the world and the challenges the country faces domestically and internationally. The survey covered the following international topics: relations with other countries, role in foreign affairs, possible threats to vital interests in the next ten years, foreign policy goals, benefits or drawbacks of globalization, situations that might justify the use of United States troops in other parts of the world, the number and location of United States military bases overseas, respondent feelings toward people of other countries, opinions on the influence of other countries in the world and how much influence those countries should have, whether there should be a global regulating body to prevent economic instability, international trade, United States participation in potential treaties, the United States' role in the United Nations and NATO, respondent opinions on international institutions and regulating bodies such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and the World Health Organization, whether the United States will continue to be the world's leading power in the next 50 years, democracy in the Middle East and South Korea, the role of the United Nations Security Council, which side the United States should take in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what measures should be taken to deal with Iran's nuclear program, the military effort in Afghanistan, opinions on efforts to combat terrorism and the use of torture to extract information from prisoners, whether the respondent favors or opposes the government selling military equipment to other nations and using nuclear weapons in various circumstances, the economic development of China, and the conflict between North and South Korea. Domestic issues included economic prospects for American children when they become adults, funding for government programs, the fairness of the current distribution of income in the United States, the role of government, whether the government can be trusted to do what is right, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, United States' dependence on foreign energy sources, drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of the United States, and relations with Mexico including such issues as the ongoing drug war, as well as immigration and immigration reform. Demographic and other background information included age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, left-right political self-placement, political affiliation, employment status, highest level of education, and religious preference. Also included are household size and composition, whether the respondent is head of household, household income, housing type, ownership status of living quarters, household Internet access, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) status, and region and state of residence.

In a survey conducted in 2022, 64 percent of the opinion leaders and prominent journalists surveyed in Latin America said that job creation and economic growth was the most important problem Latin America would face in the incoming 18 months. The second main issue according to these experts was inflation and economic instability.

A survey conducted in February 2025 found that the most important issue for 24 percent of Americans was inflation and prices. A further 12 percent of respondents were most concerned about jobs and the economy.

This Voice of the People poll seeks the opinions of Canadians, on predominantly economic, political, and social issues. The questions ask opinions about corruption, democracy, government, and world issues. There are also questions on topics such as the reduction and elimination of incidences of torture, familiarity with global institutions, predictions about the next generation, public school trends, and public clinics/hospitals. There are also questions on other topics of interest such as problems facing Canada, private/public sector contribution to the improvement of social services, trust in people, and globalization/globalisation. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: economy; corruption; American foreign policy; politics; next generation; elections; public schools; public clinics/hospitals; torture; global institution; democracy; and trust. Basic demographic variables are also included.

This data collection contains an analysis of the contents of 96 of the daily newspapers read by nationally sampled respondents in AMERICAN NATIONAL ELECTION STUDY, 1974 (ICPSR 7355), conducted by the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan. Articles or graphics on the front and/or editorial pages of newspapers appearing on ten sampled dates before and immediately after the November 1974 congressional election were coded for this study. There are 8,768 cases of front page data and 9,504 cases of editorial page data. Each case is coded with a unit of analysis that could be any combination of story text, headline, sub-headline, label, photograph, and drawing or cartoon. Information collected about each case includes specific newspaper, date, page, type of story or photo, and source of item. In terms of content, both a first and a second problem are identified (specific problems are classified in several major categories, e.g., social welfare, agricultural, natural resources, labor union/management, racial, public order, economic and business, consumer protection, foreign affairs, national defense, government function, and Watergate) along with corresponding descriptive information in both their first and second mentions. Examples of such content description are level of problem (e.g., international with no United States connection explicit, international with United States connection explicit, national, state, and local), person or actor dimension (e.g., President Ford, specific political parties, Democratic and Republican Senate candidates, specific areas of government, specific government agencies and groups, and voters or taxpayers in general), position of person or actor, agreement or disagreement between persons or actors, the first and second mention of criticism or praise dimension, and object of criticism or praise. Additional data collected for this content analysis include keywords (referring to a major news event), proposal method (references to any proposed or enacted method, program, or policy to deal with governmental, political, or social problems in the United States), editorial endorsement of a candidate by the newspaper (coded in categories such as experience, leadership ability, personal qualities, party connection, government management, government philosophy, and domestic and foreign policies), references to Democratic and Republican senatorial races, and references to these specific events: the textbook struggle in West Virginia, busing in Boston, cattle killing, Nixon's resignation, Nixon's pardon, Nixon's illness, the mastectomies, Watergate trial, Kissinger's Moscow trip, United Nations World Food Conference, Arab and PLO summit conference, Rockefeller nomination, coal strike, and Patty Hearst.

This dataset covers ballots 322-26, spanning January, March, June, September, November 1967. The dataset contains the data resulting from these polls in ASCII. The ballots are as follows: 322 - January This Gallup poll aims to collect the opinions of Canadians on issues of importance to government, and to the people of the country as a whole. The questions are mainly political, asking about preferred political leaders, parties, and issues. The subjects of the questions include taxation, Canada's centennial, prices, and labour unions. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: Armed forces unification; Canada's centennial; Expo '67 interest; federal elections; high prices; the importance of good job security compared to higher wages for Canadians; mandatory retirement at age 65; performance of Pearson's government; political party word association; preferred political parties; whether the prestige of the United States is declining; major problems facing labour unions; treatment of the French in business and civil service; union membership; unnecessary spending of tax dollars; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included. 323 - March This Gallup poll aims to collect the opinions of Canadians, on topics currently of interest to them, and the government. While there are some questions directly about politics and political leaders, the majority of the variables deal with current events topics, and subjects of political importance. Other subjects include birth control, development of the country, unions, and lotteries. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: American investment in Canada; birth control pills; whether Canada is becoming socialistic; changes in the cost of living; the development of Canada as a nation; federal elections; John Diefenbaker's performance as leader of the opposition; L.B. Johnson's performance as the President of the United States; labour union politics; Lester Pearson's performance as Prime Minister; a lottery to help pay for health and welfare; Tommy Douglas' performance as leader of the NDP; union membership; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included. 324 - June This Gallup poll seeks the opinions of Canadians on topics of interest to the country and government. Most of the questions are related to current events concerning the Canadians, and some are political. Some of the subjects include Canada's centennial, faith healing, and the development of the country. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: whether Canada will soon experience a large period of development; the creation of a government Consumer Affairs Department; whether farm or city people are better off financially; federal elections; the federal government's performance; funerals becoming too elaborate; interest in Canada's centennial; laws regulating faith healers; the likelihood of another world war; major worries of Canadians; new Conservative Party leadership; problems facing Canada; success of family life; union membership; United Nations' performance; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included. 325 - September This Gallup poll aims to collect the opinions of Canadians. The questions are typically political in nature, asking for opinions about political leaders, parties, and policies. There are also questions asked on subjects of interest to the government. Some of the issues raised in the questions are English-French relations in Canada, labour leaders, and elections. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: whether Catholic priests should be permitted to marry; English/French relations in Canada; federal elections; whether labour leaders take orders from outside of Canada; Lester Pearson's performance as Prime Minister of Canada; prices rising; whether Robert Stanfield is a good choice as the leader of the Conservative party; the "two-nation policy" for Canada; union membership; the United States and the war in Vietnam; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included. 326 - November This Gallup poll gathers the opinions of Canadians on issues of political interest to Canadians and government. Most of the questions fall into the category of current events, with such subjects as drinking and driving, the American presence in Viet Nam, predictions for the economic future of the country, and elections. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. The topics of interest include: the country that poses the greatest threat to world peace; the favoured political parties; the opinion of increasing taxes for Medicare; the opinion of Judy LaMarsh; the opinion of M. Sharpe; the predictions for 1968; whether Diefenbaker should be appointed to the Senate; whether President Johnson should be re-elected; the strength of Quebec separatism; union power in the future; current voting behaviour; who should succeed Prime Minister Pearson; and who the USSR will side with. Basic demographics variables are also included.The codebook for this dataset is available through the UBC Library catalogue, with call number HN110.Z9 P84.

United States SBOI: sa: Most Pressing Problem: Survey High: Competit'n frm Big Bus data was reported at 14.000 % in Mar 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.000 % for Feb 2025. United States SBOI: sa: Most Pressing Problem: Survey High: Competit'n frm Big Bus data is updated monthly, averaging 14.000 % from Jan 2014 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 131 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.000 % in Mar 2025 and a record low of 14.000 % in Mar 2025. United States SBOI: sa: Most Pressing Problem: Survey High: Competit'n frm Big Bus data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Federation of Independent Business. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.S042: NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

As part of an ongoing data collection effort, CBS News and The New York Times conducted a series of interviews. The substantive common denominator in the surveys was a continuing evaluation of the Reagan presidency. Each survey also raised questions of topical relevance and/or broader social concern, including the following: Part 1: Government figures and race relations in New York City. Part 2: The space program, 1988 presidential candidates, the Iran-Contra matter, economic problems, and the Strategic Defense Initiative. Part 3: The Tower Commission Report and the Iran-Contra matter. Part 4: Ronald Reagan's speech of March 4, 1987 and the Iran-Contra matter. Part 5: Television evangelists, focusing on the PTL and Jim Bakker. Parts 6 and 7: Israeli involvement in the Jonathan Pollard spy case and the Iranian arms sale, and relations between the United States and Israel. Part 8: The Iran-Contra matter and 1988 presidential candidates with special emphasis on Gary Hart. Part 9: The Constitution, examining the operation, characteristics and relations among the three branches of the federal government. Part 10: The Iran-Contra hearings and testimony and actions of Oliver North. Part 11: The Iran-Contra hearings and testimony of Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter. Part 12: Aid to the contras, the Iranian arms sale, the Bork nomination to the Supreme Court, and l988 presidential candidates focusing on George Bush. Part 13: Pope John Paul the Second and moral, social, and political issues facing the Catholic Church. Part 14: The role of parish priests and the current moral, social, and political issues facing the Catholic Church. Part 15: Arms control and Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. Part 16: Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork and United States Navy ships in the Persian Gulf. Part 17: Business and industry in the United States. Part 18: l988 presidential candidates, social and economic problems facing the United States, and a comparison of the the two major political parties. Part 19: The campaigns of l988 Presidential candidates from each party, social and economic problems facing the United States, and Iowa's caucus system. Part 20: The Ginsburg nomination to the Supreme Court and his withdrawal, and respondents' opinions of factors that might disqualify someone from serving in public office. Part 21: The federal budget deficit, foreign trade, 1988 presidential candidates, and United States-Soviet arms control negotiations. Part 22: 1988 presidential candidates, and the re-entry of Gary Hart into the race. All surveys contain demographic information on respondents.

In 2023, nearly two-thirds of Black adults who identified as LGBT in the U.S. believed that racism in health care was a major problem in the United States. Across all racial groups, U.S. adults who identified as LGBT were more likely to believe that racism is a major problem in health care in the U.S. as of August 2023.

Unemployment Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 4.20 percent in May. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) is an academic institution hosted by Vanderbilt University that began with the study of democratic values in Costa Rica, but today carries out surveys in much of Latin America, Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. In 2004, LAPOP established the AmericasBarometer as multi-country, regularly conducted survey of democratic values and behaviors in the Americas, and the first round included voting-age respondents from 11 countries. LAPOP collected opinions on major problems facing the country and community, threats to security, attitudes towards the country's political system, and trust in government institutions. Also measured were respondents' participation in community organizations, attitudes towards government critics, voting behavior, confidence in local government, and the prevalence of crime. Demographic information collected includes nationality, ethnicity, native language, age, gender, education level, occupation, religion, and whether the respondent lives in an urban or rural area.

Attitudes to current national and international questions. Topics: most important national problem; most important international problem; countries in conflict with the FRG; major problems and differences between FRG and USA; major problems between FRG and other countries; opinion on France, Great Britain, USA, USSR, Red China; reasons for negative and positive attitude to countries USA, USSR and China; trust in USA and USSR in treatment of world problems; reasons for little trust in USA and USSR; effort of USA and USSR for world peace; relationship of USA to USSR; strongest current nuclear power; strongest nuclear power in 5 years; desired strongest nuclear power; reasons for desire for balanced nuclear potential between USA and USSR; knowledge about the SALT negotiations; countries participating in the SALT negotiations; purpose and chances for success of the SALT negotiations; beneficiary of a treaty between USA and USSR; relying on USA in negotiations; security conference; threat to national security of Germany; support for FRG in the case of conflict; knowledge of international organizations; purpose of NATO; membership in NATO; reasons for desired membership; trust in defense ability of NATO; stationing troops in Western Europe; reduction of US troop strength in Europe; necessity of USA for security of Western Europe; defense budget of FRG; navy forces in the Mediterranean; strongest naval power in the Mediterranean; relationship of Israel and Arab nations; support of FRG for Israel; significance of result of the Middle East Conflict for FRG; peace process in the Middle East; European unification process; powers of a European Government; attitude of the USA to European integration; solving the problem of environmental pollution by international organizations; economic aid for other countries. Demography: age; marital status; education; occupation; income; religious denomination; church attendance; sex; city size; state. Also encoded was: length of interview; number of contact attempts; presence of others during interview; willingness to cooperate; difficulty; end time; date of interview; interviewer number.

Graph and download economic data for Number of Large Domestic Banks That Eased and Reported That Improvement in Industry-Specific Problems Was a Very Important Reason (SUBLPDCIREIVLGNQ) from Q2 1992 to Q1 2025 about ease, large, domestic, banks, depository institutions, industry, and USA.

This Gallup poll aims to collect the opinions of Canadians on issues of importance to government, and to the people of the country as a whole. The questions are mainly political, asking about preferred political leaders, parties, and issues. The subjects of the questions include taxation, Canada's centennial, prices, and labour unions. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic and social variables. Topics of interest include: Armed forces unification; Canada's centennial; Expo '67 interest; federal elections; high prices; the importance of good job security compared to higher wages for Canadians; mandatory retirement at age 65; performance of Pearson's government; political party word association; preferred political parties; whether the prestige of the United States is declining; major problems facing labour unions; treatment of the French in business and civil service; union membership; unnecessary spending of tax dollars; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included.

A 2024 survey found that over half of U.S. individuals indicated the cost of accessing treatment was the biggest problem facing the national healthcare system. This is much higher than the global average of 32 percent and is in line with the high cost of health care in the U.S. compared to other high-income countries. Bureaucracy along with a lack of staff were also considered to be pressing issues. This statistic reveals the share of individuals who said select problems were the biggest facing the health care system in the United States in 2024.

The current political discourse in the United States focuses on extreme political polarization as a contributor to ills ranging from government shutdowns to awkward family holidays. And indeed, a large body of research has documented differences between liberals and conservatives–primarily focused on Republicans and Democrats in the United States. We combine large international surveys and more fine-grained surveys of United States citizens to compare differences in opinion between Republicans and Democrats to the full range of world opinion on moral issues (N = 37,653 in 39 countries) and issues of free speech (N = 40,786 in 38 countries). When viewed in the full distribution, polarization between Democrats and Republicans appears relatively small, even on divisive issues such as abortion, sexual preference, and freedom of religious speech. The average Democrat-Republic overlap is greater than 70% of the country pair overlaps across eight moral issues, meaning that 70% of the country pairs are more dissimilar from each other than Democrats and Republicans are dissimilar; similarly, the average Democrat-Republic overlap is greater than 79% of the country pair overlaps across five freedom of speech issues. These results suggest that cross-cultural comparisons are useful for putting differences between political partisans within the same country in context.