The FINANCIAL — For the first time in five years, as many Americans cite defending the U.S. against terrorism (76%) as a top policy priority as say that about strengthening the nation’s economy (75%). Since Barack Obama began his second term in January 2013, the economy has declined 11 points as a top priority, and improving the job situation has fallen 12 points (from 79% to 67%), according to Pew Research Center.
There has been little change over the past two years in the number saying that defending against terrorism should be a top priority; in fact, this has consistently been among the public’s leading policy goals since 2002. But it has moved to the top of the priorities list as the economy and jobs have fallen.
The Pew Research Center’s annual policy priorities survey, conducted Jan. 7-11 among 1,504 adults, also finds that the goal of strengthening the military has increased in importance. Currently, 52% say strengthening the military should be a top policy priority for the president and Congress this year, up from 41% in January 2013.
While there have been increases since 2013 in the percentages of both Republicans (from 58% to 71%) and Democrats (from 31% to 41%) rating a stronger military as a top priority, this is now a leading goal for Republicans. It now ranks close to the economy, jobs and the budget deficit among Republicans’ top priorities. Terrorism by a wide margin ranks first among Republicans (87%), according to Pew Research Center.
The survey finds little change over time in many of the public’s other priorities: 67% rate improving education as a top priority, 66% cite securing Social Security, 64% reducing health care costs and 61% securing Medicare.
However, the budget deficit – which surged in importance between 2009 and 2013 – has lost ground since then. Currently, 64% say reducing the budget deficit is a top priority; that is little changed from last year (63%), but down eight points since 2013.
At the same time, other priorities are now viewed as more important. Increasing percentages say improving the nation’s infrastructure (up 12 points since 2013), dealing with global warming (up 10 points) and dealing with the nation’s moral breakdown (eight points) should be top priorities. Immigration, for which there is no 2013 trend point, has grown as a priority since last year; 52% view it as a top priority, compared with 40% last January, according to Pew Research Center.
The public’s diminished focus on economic priorities comes as perceptions about the state of the economy and the availability of jobs have turned more positive. And while the recent terrorist attacks in Paris did not result in a major increase in worries about a possible attack soon in this country, there has been growing concern over Islamic extremism, both in the United States and overseas. A poll in September, as the threat from ISIS emerged, found 53% saying they were very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in the U.S., up 17 percentage points2011.
As President Obama prepares for his Jan. 20 State of the Union, the public overwhelmingly thinks it is more important for him to focus on domestic policy than foreign policy. Two-thirds (67%) say it is more important to focus on domestic policy, compared with 20% who want him to focus on foreign policy. However, the share who rate foreign policy as more important has roughly doubled in the past year, from just 9% on the eve of Obama’s last State of the Union, according to Pew Research Center.
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