Fifty-seven percent of Americans mention an economic issue when asked to name the most important problem facing the United States today, the lowest since June 2010, when the percentage was also 57%. The last time it fell below this level was with a 55% reading in December 2009. [cont.] Jeffrey […] Read more »
As Sequester Deadline Looms, Little Support for Cutting Most Programs
As the March 1 deadline for a possible budget sequester approaches, a new national survey finds limited public support for reducing spending for a range of specific programs, including defense, entitlements, education and health care. For 18 of 19 programs tested, majorities want either to increase spending or maintain it […] Read more »
Taking Stock of the People’s Concerns
… I recently spent some time looking at the differences in response to the “most important problem” question by political party. My conclusion: There are remarkable similarities in how Republicans and Democrats look at the world in this context, with just a few exceptions. The biggest exception to the partisan […] Read more »
Economy Dominant in Obama’s Speech, Americans’ Priorities
Ahead of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, Americans’ concerns about the “most important problem” in the country remained largely entrenched compared with the previous month, with one in four mentioning the economy, followed by unemployment or jobs (19%), and then various issues related to poor […] Read more »
Obama faces deeply divided nation in State of the Union address
A fragile majority of Americans give President Obama’s second term agenda positive initial marks in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, even as stubborn partisan division and disaffection with Washington politics define public sentiment ahead of Tuesday’s State of the Union address. [cont.] Scott Clement & Peyton M. Craghill, Washington […] Read more »
Obama’s speeches are not just words — they are political action
… In many ways, speech is action. When Obama speaks forcefully, as he did in his second inaugural address, he enables action to follow. Changing the public political discourse also changes public understanding, leading to new demands for political action. Words are not mere words. As the linguist Charles Fillmore […] Read more »