Poll: Economic Issues Reign as Top Priority to Americans

Jaqueline Benitez, who depends on California's SNAP benefits to help pay for food, shops f
AP Photo/Allison Dinner

Economic issues remain the top priority to Americans as the midterm elections approach, a weekly survey from the Economist/YouGov found.

The survey asked Americans which issue is the most important to them, giving a range of choices from jobs and the economy to foreign policy. Across the board, economic issues reigned. Inflation and prices topped the list with 26 percent of respondents choosing that as the most important issue to them, followed by 13 percent who said jobs and the economy. Healthcare came in third place with 12 percent choosing that issue, followed by nine percent who said immigration, seven percent who said national security, and six percent who said taxes and government spending. The remaining issues, foreign policy, education, abortion, civil rights, guns, and criminal justice reform had five percent or less.

There are actually bipartisan similarities in top priorities, as a plurality of Republicans, Democrats, and independents – 25 percent, 25 percent, and 28 percent, respectively – chose inflation/prices as their top issue. However, priorities vary from there.

Immigration follows as the second most important issue to Republicans with 20 percent support, followed by 12 percent who said national security.

Jobs and the economy are the second most important issue to independents with 15 percent support, and health care stands as the second most important issue to Democrats with 16 percent support.

The survey was taken April 10 – 13, 2026, among 1,748 respondents, 1,573 of whom are registered voters.

It comes as Republicans gear up for the midterm elections with the goal of retaining majorities in both the House and Senate in order to keep the Trump agenda on track.

“They’re going to obstruct,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters warned during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily.

“They’re going to impeach. The President’s momentum will be over. The Democrats want chaos, and we want momentum, and we want to get the American people back to work, and we want them to keep more of what they earn. And this president’s all about it, in this focus every single day, and trying to make sure that the average American out there is taken care of,” Gruters said, highlighting President Donald Trump’s plans to barnstorm the country.

“Mainstream media will never give the Republicans credit for anything, because all they want to see is chaos, and they want to see the President zero momentum, and so they’re not going to give any credit. That’s why the President has to go and storm the country. That’s why we have to do things like the midterm convention, which has never been done,” he added.

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