Most Important Problem Facing the Country Today (October 2016)

Most Important Problem Facing the Country Today (October 2016)

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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important.

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categorycolumn-1
Political corruption/leadership13%
National security/terrorism11%
The economy10%
Federal spending/national debt9%
Immigration7%
Partisan gridlock5%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Measurement of Party ID for this figure is based on two questions. First, respondents were asked whether they consider themselves to be a Democrats, Republicans, independents, other, or not sure. Those who responded that they are independents or "other" were then asked if they lean toward either the Democrats or Republicans. If they indicated that they lean toward one party or the other, they are considered Democrats or Republicans for the purposes of this figure, only "pure" independents or members of a third party who indicate that they have no preference for Democrats vis-a-vis Republicans are considered independents. Respondents who answered that they are "not sure" for either of the two aforementioned questions are not incorporated into this figure.
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categoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Political corruption/leadership6%17%18%
National security/terrorism5%17%16%
The economy8%17%10%
Federal spending/national debt2%10%12%
Immigration3%6%12%
Partisan gridlock9%4%1%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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categoryLean RepublicanNot very strong RepublicanStrong Republican
Political corruption/leadership27%14%15%
National security/terrorism9%20%18%
The economy11%10%10%
Federal spending/national debt13%9%14%
Immigration12%7%15%
Partisan gridlock2%0%0%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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categoryLean DemocratNot very strong DemocratStrong Democrat
Political corruption/leadership7%8%4%
National security/terrorism6%6%4%
The economy6%11%6%
Federal spending/national debt4%2%1%
Immigration2%4%2%
Partisan gridlock12%7%8%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
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categoryLiberalsModeratesConservatives
Political corruption/leadership6%11%17%
National security/terrorism5%11%15%
The economy7%10%10%
Federal spending/national debt2%7%13%
Immigration2%5%11%
Partisan gridlock8%6%2%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. The ideology measure is based on respondent self-placement in response to the following question, "On a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 is extremely liberal, 7 is extremely conservative, and 4 is exactly in the middle, where would you place yourself?" The placements are further classified such that 1 is extremely liberal, 2 is very liberal, 3 is somewhat liberal, 4 is moderate, 5 is somewhat conservative, 6 is very conservative, and 7 is extremely conservative.
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categoryLeaning conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Political corruption/leadership16%19%15%
National security/terrorism14%15%14%
The economy11%10%9%
Federal spending/national debt9%17%11%
Immigration6%11%15%
Partisan gridlock5%2%0%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. The ideology measure is based on respondent self-placement in response to the following question, "On a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 is extremely liberal, 7 is extremely conservative, and 4 is exactly in the middle, where would you place yourself?" The placements are further classified such that 1 is extremely liberal, 2 is very liberal, 3 is somewhat liberal, 4 is moderate, 5 is somewhat conservative, 6 is very conservative, and 7 is extremely conservative.
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categoryLeaning liberalSomewhat liberalExtremely liberal
Political corruption/leadership5%6%7%
National security/terrorism4%8%2%
The economy6%6%8%
Federal spending/national debt3%3%0%
Immigration2%3%2%
Partisan gridlock8%9%7%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Tea Party identification is based on the following question, also asked in the survey, "Suppose the Tea Party movement organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district, or the Tea Party candidate from your district?" Those who responded "Republican candidate" are considered Republicans (non-Tea Party movement) and those who responded "Tea Party candidate" are considered Tea Party Republicans.
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categoryDemocratRepublicanTea Party
Political corruption/leadership5%11%19%
National security/terrorism4%21%11%
The economy9%9%10%
Federal spending/national debt3%9%19%
Immigration2%12%12%
Partisan gridlock9%3%0%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Race is calculated according to the race variable.
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categoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Political corruption/leadership15%6%10%
National security/terrorism14%6%7%
The economy9%15%9%
Federal spending/national debt9%2%8%
Immigration8%2%6%
Partisan gridlock5%4%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Gender is calculated according to the GENDER variable.
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categoryMaleFemale
Political corruption/leadership13%12%
National security/terrorism8%14%
The economy9%10%
Federal spending/national debt11%6%
Immigration8%6%
Partisan gridlock6%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Community is based on the following question?" Would you say that you live in an urban, suburban, or rural community?"
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categoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Political corruption/leadership10%13%17%
National security/terrorism10%10%14%
The economy9%11%7%
Federal spending/national debt5%10%9%
Immigration6%8%7%
Partisan gridlock5%5%2%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Age is calculated according to the AGEG variable.
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category18-2930-4445-6465+
Political corruption/leadership8%10%15%17%
National security/terrorism12%10%9%15%
The economy10%6%12%10%
Federal spending/national debt4%8%9%12%
Immigration3%6%7%13%
Partisan gridlock5%5%5%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Education is calculated according to the EDUC variable.
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categoryNo high schoolHigh school graduateSome college2-year4-yearPost-grad
Political corruption/leadership15%12%15%8%10%15%
National security/terrorism6%12%14%12%9%7%
The economy3%11%8%4%12%13%
Federal spending/national debt5%7%8%11%10%10%
Immigration6%10%5%7%6%8%
Partisan gridlock7%3%6%2%7%4%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Religiosity is calculated according to the IMPORT variable.
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categoryExtremely importantSomewhat importantNot very importantNot at all important
Political corruption/leadership14%13%11%8%
National security/terrorism12%11%16%3%
The economy9%11%6%11%
Federal spending/national debt8%10%8%6%
Immigration8%8%3%5%
Partisan gridlock1%4%8%14%
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    Respondents were asked, "What would you say is the most important problem facing this country today?" This figure includes the six problems the public deemed most important. Fundamentalism is calculated according to the LITERAL variable.
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categoryThe Bible is the word of God, to be taken literallyThe Bible is the word of God, not to be taken literallyThe Bible is a book written by men
Political corruption/leadership10%15%13%
National security/terrorism11%12%7%
The economy10%11%7%
Federal spending/national debt6%12%6%
Immigration11%5%6%
Partisan gridlock0%3%14%

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