Healthcare Still Tops the List of Most Important Issues

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Source: Business Wire

However, in total, many more people mention either “the economy” or “jobs/employment” than mention healthcare

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When asked to say, without being prompted or shown a list, what “are the two most important issues for government to address,” more people (45%) mention healthcare than any other issue. However, many more people, in total, mention either the economy (32%) or employment or jobs (31%). No other issue comes close.

“Are you familiar enough with each of the following to have an opinion regarding them?”

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,576 adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

The only other issues to be mentioned as most important by more than five percentage points are government spending or the budget (7%), and terrorism (6%). Five percent each mention immigration and education.

Leaders’ ratings

This Harris Poll also measures the ratings of political leaders and parties in Washington just before the State of the Union speech. None of these changed significantly from December. A few points to note include:

• The public remains overwhelmingly critical of Congress (84% negative).
• Many more people give negative than positive ratings to both the Democrats in Congress (by 54% to 17%) and the Republicans in Congress (by 50% to 16%). Until a few months ago more people were critical of the Republicans than the Democrats.
• Majorities are not familiar with either Defense Secretary Robert Gates (53%) or Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (57%) and substantial numbers are not familiar with Vice-President Joe Biden (33%), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (32%). And, in spite of her many years of high profile visibility, a remarkable 18% are not familiar with Hillary Clinton.

So what?

1. While there is evidence in other polls of “health reform fatigue,” almost half of all adults still think health care is a major priority that the government should address.

2. The large number of people who are not familiar with powerful and important leaders in Washington is consistent with a recent Pew survey which measured the political knowledge of the public and suggested that large numbers of people are politically illiterate.

TABLE 1
CONGRESS’ OVERALL JOB RATING

"How would you rate the overall job the Congress is doing?"

Base: All adults

		TREND		Positive*		Negative**
				%		%
2010		Jan.		16		84
2009		Dec.		17		83
		Nov.		17		83
		Oct.		16		84
		Sept.		19		81
		Aug.		22		78
		June		25		75
		May		31		69
		April		29		71
		March		29		71
2008		October		10		86
		September		16		81
		August		18		77
		June		13		83
		February		20		76
2007		December		17		79
		October		20		77
		September		22		74
		April		27		69
		February		33		62
2006		September		24		73
		May		18		80
		February		25		71
		January		25		72

*Positive = excellent or pretty good. **Negative = only fair or poor.

Note: Prior to March, 2009, this question was asked by telephone.

TABLE 2
FAMILIARITY OF SENIOR CABINET MEMBERS, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND PARTIES IN CONGRESS

“Are you familiar enough with each of the following to have an opinion regarding them?”

Base: All adults

		FAMILIAR
		March		April		May		June		Aug.		Sept.		Dec.		Jan.
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton		85		83		83		81		82		82		82		82
Democrats in Congress		66		64		64		65		68		69		67		71
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi		68		65		66		66		67		69		71		68
Vice President Joe Biden		70		67		69		68		71		70		72		67
Republicans in Congress		62		61		59		58		63		65		64		66
Defense Secretary Robert Gates		40		44		43		42		45		46		49		47
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner		35		44		41		39		43		42		43		43

Note: N/a indicates not asked

TABLE 3
RATINGS OF SENIOR CABINET MEMBERS, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND PARTIES IN CONGRESS

“How would you rate the overall job each of the following are doing?”

Base: All adults

		Positive*		Excellent		Pretty Good		Negative**		Only Fair		Poor		Not Familiar
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton		49		13		36		33		22		11		18
Vice President Joe Biden		28		5		23		39		20		19		33
Defense Secretary Robert Gates		26		6		21		21		15		6		53
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi		18		3		15		50		15		35		32
Democrats in Congress		17		2		15		54		23		31		29
Republicans in Congress		16		2		14		50		27		23		34
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner		14		3		11		29		12		17		57

*Positive = excellent or pretty good **Negative = only fair or poor

TABLE 4
RATING OF VICE-PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN - TREND

How would you rate the job Vice-President Joe Biden is doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		28		39		33
Dec.		%		30		42		28
Sept.		%		30		41		30
Aug.		%		33		38		29
June		%		30		38		32
May		%		32		36		31
April		%		34		32		33
March		%		35		35		30

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 5
RATING OF SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON – TREND

How would you rate the job Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		49		33		18
Dec.		%		48		34		18
Sept.		%		48		34		18
Aug.		%		51		31		18
June		%		47		34		19
May		%		50		33		17
April		%		51		32		17
March		%		49		36		15

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 6
RATING OF DEFENSE SECRETARY ROBERT GATES – TREND

How would you rate the job Defense Secretary Robert Gates is doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		26		21		53
Dec.		%		28		21		51
Sept.		%		28		18		54
Aug.		%		28		17		55
June		%		28		13		58
May		%		28		15		57
April		%		30		14		56
March		%		27		13		60

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 7
RATING OF TREASURY SECRETARY TIM GEITHNER – TREND

How would you rate the job Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		14		29		57
Dec.		%		15		29		57
Sept.		%		16		26		58
Aug.		%		17		26		57
June		%		15		24		61
May		%		16		26		59
April		%		18		26		56
March		%		11		24		65

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 8
RATING OF HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI – TREND

How would you rate the job House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		18		50		32
Dec.		%		22		49		29
Sept.		%		20		49		31
Aug.		%		19		48		33
June		%		18		49		34
May		%		21		45		34
April		%		21		44		35
March		%		23		45		32

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 9
RATING OF DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS – TREND

How would you rate the job the Democrats in Congress are doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		17		54		29
Dec.		%		18		50		33
Sept.		%		18		51		31
Aug.		%		21		47		32
June		%		21		43		35
May		%		25		39		36
April		%		22		42		36
March		%		25		41		34

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 10
RATING OF REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS – TREND

How would you rate the job the Republicans in Congress are doing?”

Base: All adults

				Positive*		Negative**		Not Familiar
Jan.		%		16		50		34
Dec.		%		14		50		36
Sept.		%		11		54		35
Aug.		%		12		52		37
June		%		12		46		42
May		%		14		45		41
April		%		14		48		39
March		%		15		47		38

*Excellent or pretty good. **Only fair or poor.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding.

TABLE 11
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS

"What do you think are the two most important issues for the government to address?"

Spontaneous, unprompted replies

Base: All adults

		‘97		‘98		‘99		‘00		‘01		‘02		‘03		‘04		‘05		‘06		07		08		09		09		09		09		09		10
		May		Jan		Feb		Aug		Dec		Dec		June		Oct		Aug		June		Oct		Oct		Jan		Mar		May		Sept		Nov		Jan
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
Healthcare (not Medicare)		10		11		12		15		5		10		14		18		11		12		25		22		16		25		31		55		47		45
The economy (non-specific)		8		9		7		5		32		34		25		28		19		14		13		64		59		50		45		36		34		32
Employment/jobs		5		3		4		4		7		8		8		10		3		7		5		5		20		21		19		21		24		31
Budget/Government spending		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		5		6		2		6		6		11		12		11		7
Terrorism		X		X		X		X		22		17		11		7		7		4		4		3		2		4		3		2		3		6
Immigration		2		1		*		1		1		1		2		2		3		20		12		3		2		4		5		8		5		5
Education		15		14		21		25		12		11		13		7		8		7		6		6		5		5		6		7		5		5
Taxes		14		16		12		13		6		5		11		8		5		4		3		6		5		4		5		5		4		4
National security		X		X		2		2		6		3		6		5		2		2		2		5		4		2		4		1		1		4
Environment		3		2		3		3		1		3		2		1		3		3		3		2		2		3		4		3		4		3
Regulating banking/financial services industries		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		*		1		8		5		2		1		3
Iraq		*		*		1		X		X		11		3		9		6		8		14		7		4		2		3		3		4		2
(The) war		X		X		X		X		12		18		8		35		41		27		24		14		15		9		8		5		9		2
Downsizing government		X		X		X		1		*		X		X		1		*		1		1		*		1		1		2		2		2		2
Foreign policy (non-specific)		3		5		4		3		2		4		2		3		2		2		4		2		3		3		3		1		2		2
(Programs for) the poor/ poverty		3		2		2		3		1		2		3		*		4		4		4		*		1		1		1		1		2		2
Domestic/social issues (non-specific)		2		3		2		2		2		2		1		2		2		3		3		1		2		1		3		2		1		2
Homeland/domestic security/public safety		X		X		X		X		8		9		3		6		2		2		2		1		1		2		1		3		1		1
Social security		6		6		24		16		3		2		4		4		10		5		3		3		1		1		3		2		2		1
Military/defense		2		2		2		4		4		1		5		3		1		4		2		2		2		2		2		2		1		1
Energy		X		X		X		X		X		X		1		1		4		4		1		4		2		3		2		2		1		1
Housing		X		X		X		X		X		1		1		*		*		1		2		2		3		6		3		1		1		1
Abortion		2		2		2		6		1		1		1		4		2		1		2		1		1		1		1		1		1		1
Judicial/Legal Issues		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		*		2		1		1		*		*		1		1		1		1		1
Human/civil/women's rights		2		1		*		1		1		1		*		1		1		1		2		*		*		*		1		1		1		1
Same sex rights		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		1		1		2		*		*		*		1		1		1		1		1
Crime/violence		19		13		8		10		1		2		3		1		3		2		2		1		2		*		1		1		1		1
Obama/president		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		1		*		*		*		*		1		1		1
Ethics in government		*		*		*		*		1		1		1		1		1		1		1		1		2		1		1		*		1		1
Homelessness		4		4		3		3		2		2		1		*		1		1		3		*		1		*		*		*		1		1
Socialism agenda/country’s socialism		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		*		1
Inflation		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		1		2		3		*		1		1		*		*		1		*
Welfare		14		8		4		2		1		1		3		*		3		1		2		*		1		*		*		1		1		*
Gas and oil prices		X		X		X		X		X		X		1		1		10		8		2		1		2		1		2		1		1		*
Honesty/Integrity/Moral Values		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		2		2		1		1		1		1		1		1		1		1		*
Middle East peace process between Palestinians and Israel		X		X		X		X		2		2		2		*		1		*		*		1		1		*		*		1		*		*
Peace/world peace/nuclear arms		1		3		3		1		2		2		3		*		1		1		2		*		1		*		*		1		*		*
Drugs		8		6		2		5		2		3		3		*		2		1		3		*		1		1		*		*		*		*
Medicare		4		5		5		6		1		1		4		3		2		1		3		2		1		*		*		*		*		*
Religion (decline of)		*		1		*		1		2		1		1		1		*		1		1		*		1		*		*		*		*		*
Programs for the elderly (not Medicare/Social Security)		1		1		1		2		1		1		3		*		*		*		1		1		*		*		*		*		*		*
Second Amendment (right to bear arms)		X		*		*		*		*		X		*		*		*		*		*		X		*		*		*		*		*		*
Family values (decline of)		2		1		2		1		*		*		1		1		1		1		1		*		*		*		*		*		X		*
Budget deficit/National debt		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		X		*		3		*		X		X		X
Other1		8		19		2		19		3		8		8		8		1		6		5		15		2		5		5		1		3		1
Not sure/refused/no issue		9		12		16		18		11		10		12		9		8		6		8		4		4		4		3		3		3		2

* = Less than 0.5%, X = Not mentioned as specific issue
¹ Including prescription drug prices, credit problems, trade, disability, corporate scandals, youth and government (other)
Note: Prior to March, 2009, this question was asked via telephone

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States January 18 to 25, 2010 among 2,576 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

J37638
Q1210, 1215, 1220, 1225, 1230

The Harris Poll^® #19, February 5, 2010
By Humphrey Taylor, Chairman, The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

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