2017 US Politics - 43% of Republicans Say the Country is Off on the Wrong Track (August 23)
Listen to The Point Being, a podcast from the Ipsos Polling Team, where Chris Jackson and Phil Elwood discuss this week’s numbers.
This week’s Reuters/Ipsos data finds a notable shift among Republicans, who are increasingly pessimistic about the state of the country. In an eight-point jump from last week (up from 35%), 43% of Republicans now say the country is off on the wrong track. Conversely, 43% (down from 52% last week) believe the country is heading in the right direction. Overall, two thirds of Americans (66%) now believe the US is on the wrong track, with one in five (21%) saying we’re heading in the right direction.
As terrorism continues to dominate the news cycle, more Americans (17%) are labeling it as the most important problem facing the US today. It’s followed by healthcare (15%) and the economy (9%). Issues of top concern fall along party lines, with Republicans (24%) significantly more concerned about terrorism than both Democrats (13%) and Independents (16%). Similarly, Democrats (18%) rank healthcare as their top priority, while it remains in second place for Republicans (13%) and Independents (15%).
President Trump’s approval is now at 36%, remaining significantly higher than Congress’s approval rating at 21%.
