Americans have spoken. According to polls from PewResearch, The New York Times and The Huffington Post, these are the 10 issues influencing public opinion in the country as the State Of The Union makes headlines.
1. Partisan Approval Rates
The GOP is still trailing behind in partisan approval rates. Only 41 percent of Americans see the Republican Party favorably and 46 percent prefer the Democratic leadership.
2. President Obama Job Performance
President Obama’s approval rating is on the uptick, rising from 42 percent ?to 46 percent, a full 4 points over the last month and the expectation is that it will continue to increase after the SOTU.
3. Deficit
Numbers are widely different regarding deficit: 55 percent ?of Democrats say it should be a priority while 72 percent of Republicans found it to be the most important task at hand.
4. Immigration
On immigration, about 8 in 10 Republicans disapprove the President’s actions while 7 in 10 Democrats are against it.
5. Terrorism
After the incident in France last month, views on terrorism seem to have shifted. For the first time in five years, 75 percent?of Americans say defending the U.S. against terrorism is a top priority.
6. Economy
Three quarters of Americans say making the economy stronger is definitely a top priority ? and twice as many believe the economy to be better than worse in one year’s time.
7.?Cybersecurity and Privacy
Cybersecurity and privacy is a source of mistrust for the American population. Survey shows the public has little confidence in the safety of personal means of communication. A whopping 91 percent believe ?consumers have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by companies.?
8.?Energy and the Environment
The building of the Keystone XL Pipeline has been the major issue heading the public opinion when it comes to energy and the environment. The latest published poll shows Americans supporting the pipeline to the tone of 56 percent, from which, 83 percent of supporters from the Republican Party.
9. Education
Community Colleges come into focus ? with President Obama unveiling a proposal to provide free education for millions of Americans, a huge 60 percent of the population approves the plan and support the proposal.
So, what’s the most important focus point?in the opinion of the Americans?
10. Domestic Matters
In spite of all the unrest abroad, public opinion still is clear and absolute: We need to take care of domestic matters first.
Of all polled and from the ten most important issues tabled, 67 percent want the President to prioritize domestic policies.
