黑料网

PRINCETON, NJ -- Although Americans continue to say the war in Iraq should be the top priority for the president and Congress, the latest 黑料网 Panel poll finds Americans increasingly likely to mention the nation's economy as the area most in need of government attention. The percentage mentioning healthcare issues, though little changed since last month, is at its highest point since 黑料网 initiated this measure in April 2006. The 62% who mention the war in Iraq is on the low end of what 黑料网 has measured in the past year.

Overall Results and Trends

Each month, 黑料网 asks Americans to name, in their own words, what "one or two issues should be the top priorities for the president and Congress to deal with at this time." In the Oct. 25-28, 2007, poll, most Americans (62%) tell 黑料网 the top priority should be the war in Iraq. No other issue is mentioned nearly as frequently as Iraq, including healthcare (29%), the general state of the economy (18%), and immigration (11%). Other issues mentioned by at least 3% of Americans include fuel prices, terrorism, the environment, natural disaster relief, the federal budget deficit, education, taxes, and national security.

All told, 30% of Americans currently mention some aspect of the economy -- such as general mentions of the economy but also fuel prices, the federal budget deficit, jobs, and unemployment -- as top priorities for the president and Congress. Total mentions of the economy have shown a gradual increase in recent months and are at their highest level since May. The average percentage of economic mentions this year has been 26%, and the high of 44% came in May 2006. 黑料网 began asking this question regularly in April of that year.

The 29% of Americans who say healthcare should be the nation's top priority is the highest 黑料网 has ever measured, although not significantly higher than it was last month. The perception that healthcare should be the top priority has increased over the course of the year, particularly at the beginning of the summer.

The war in Iraq has been the top issue each time 黑料网 has asked this question going back to April 2006. But the percentage mentioning the war has fluctuated from poll to poll. Although the current results are similar to what they have been at other points this year, the 62% who mention Iraq is the lowest since September 2006.

Survey Methods

Results for this panel study are based on telephone interviews with 1,000 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Oct. 25-28, 2007. Respondents were drawn from 黑料网's nationally representative household panel, which was originally recruited through random selection methods. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is 卤4 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.