Poll: ‘Government’ rises to nation’s top problem

Americans believe that the government is the biggest problem facing the nation, an ominous poll finding that might feed President Trump’s plan to “shut it down” if he does not get Democratic cooperation on funding of his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than any other issue, Gallup found that the swamp is the the No. 1 problem issue cited in its latest survey.

Dissatisfaction in Washington topped healthcare and immigration. The findings:

The Nation’s Top Problem

  • Government: 19 percent
  • Immigration: 16 percent
  • Unifying the country: 8 percent
  • Race relations: 7 percent
  • Poverty: 6 percent
  • Healthcare: 5 percent

“Americans were more likely to cite the government as the most important problem facing the U.S. than any other issue,” said Gallup.

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The analysis was inconclusive on whether the dissatisfaction with government was good for Democrats or Republicans. It concluded:

Current public perceptions of the most important problem facing the country provide additional insight into the looming shutdown. President Donald Trump has demanded that Congress fund a border wall and said he would be ‘proud’ to shutdown the government over the issue. But Trump is doing so at a time when public perceptions that immigration is the most important issue facing the country have declined. This may indicate less support among Americans for a shutdown over funding for the wall than Trump would have had last month. However, this month’s poll ended on December 12, as a potential standoff on funding for the border wall was evolving, potentially impacting current perceptions.

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