The Nation's Pulse: Americans' Top Priorities And The Direction Of The Country

• Over one-third prioritize the economy as the country's most important issue
• Immigration/border security and health care are also top concerns
• Nearly half express satisfaction with the direction of the country

What are Americans' priorities for President Trump?

Thirty-nine percent identified the economy as the country's most important issue, followed closely by immigration and border security at 35 percent.

These results are from the latest nationwide TIPP Poll of 1,478 Americans completed last Friday. The poll asked participants, "What are the top three issues facing the country?"

Twelve other issues received double-digit responses, with health care (20%), crime (19%), and homelessness (17%) ranking as the top among them. Concerns over national debt and federal government spending (16%), trust in government and politicians (16%), gun violence and gun control (16%), and climate change (16%) formed the next tier of concerns. Home affordability (14%), threats to democracy (14%), and the lack of unity or division in the country (13%) round out the mid-tier concerns. Terrorism and national security (11%) and abortion (10%) also received notable mentions.

Meanwhile, issues that ranked lower on the scale include mental health (9%), racial justice (7%), the Russia-Ukraine situation and global security (5%), China-U.S. relations (4%), the Israel-Hamas conflict (3%), and the coronavirus (2%).

Priorities varied along party and ideological lines.

For Democrats, the top issues were the economy (33%), climate change (26%), threats to democracy (23%), health care (22%), and gun violence/gun control (22%).

Republicans, on the other hand, prioritized immigration and border security (52%), the economy (44%), crime (24%), national debt/government spending (21%), and terrorism/national security (17%).

Independents aligned more closely with Republicans, with their top issues being the economy (42%), immigration/border security (34%), health care (22%), national debt/government spending (19%), and homelessness (19%).

Top Economic Issues

Food prices (50%), inflation (44%), and people’s ability to pay their bills (22%) are among the top three economic issues facing Americans.

From a list of 21 economy-related issues, home affordability (21%), gasoline prices (18%), government spending (18%), tax rates (17%), recession (14%), lack of good jobs (13%), and rising interest rates (11%) were the other concerns that received double-digit responses.

Direction Of Country

Each month, the TIPP Poll probes the general sentiment​ about the country’s direction using the survey question, "In general, how satisfied are you with the direction that the country is going in at this time?"

The latest TIPP Poll shows Americans have mixed feelings about the country’s direction, though optimism is rising under the new leadership. 46% of respondents are satisfied, while 48% are dissatisfied. Republicans are the most optimistic, with 68% expressing satisfaction, while Democrats are the least satisfied, with the same numbers dissatisfied. Independents fall in between, with 41% satisfied and 54% dissatisfied.

We also compute a compact index from responses to the above question. The index ranges from 0 to 100. A score of 50 or above is positive, below 50 is negative, and 50 is neutral.

Overall, the index entered the negative zone in September 2021 and has remained there for 42 months. In October 2024, the month before the election, it was 38.7. The February reading is 48.6. January?

Republicans are the most optimistic, with a high score of 67.1. Democrats have the lowest optimism rating at 33.3, indicating extreme pessimism. Independents fall in the middle at 42.9, reflecting a more balanced outlook.

The sharp spike in optimism among Republicans and the steep decline among Democrats coincide with President Trump's election, marking a clear partisan shift in sentiment. As leadership shifts, Republicans express renewed confidence in the country’s direction, while Democrats grow increasingly pessimistic, highlighting the nation's deep partisan divide.

Americans remain focused on the core issues—the economy, immigration, and government spending. Optimism is rising, but partisan divides persist—Republicans are upbeat, Democrats have turned pessimistic, and Independents are in the middle. Whether this optimism endures will hinge on how effectively leadership navigates the pressing challenges ahead.

Trump’s Moves

1. An Offer They Can't Refuse: Trump’s Brilliant Plan To Defang The Deep State — Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal 

2. Role Of US Military At Southern Border — Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal

3. I'm the Mayor of Yuma, Arizona. Trump Is Already Transforming Our Border — Douglas Nicholls, Newsweek

4. New Trump Executive Order Bans Critical Race Theory, Gender Ideology in Public Education — Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal

5. Republican Lawmakers Want Trump’s Admin To Bring ‘Burglary Tourism’ To An End — Jason Hopkins, DCNF

6. Trump’s Gaza Proposal Makes Complete Sense — David Harsanyi, The Daily Signal

Politics Now

7. New CIA Director: Evidence Didn't Support Brennan's Explosive Trump-Russia Assessment — Paul Sperry, RealClearInvestigations

8. The Right People Are In A Panic Over Trump’s Actions — Editorial Board, Issues & Insights

9. Why Big Leftist TV Anchors Biting The Dust Is A Gain For America — Michael Goodwin, New York Post

10. La-La Land, Once More — William L. Anderson, Mises Wire

11. Democrats Waging ‘Holy War’ As Trump Ends 50 Years Of Affirmative-Action Tyranny — James Bovard, New York Post

12. USA Today’s Report On Trump Blaming DEI For Air Crash Exposes Ugly Truth About SPLC — Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal

13. No, Joe Biden Did Not Slip In Murder Sentence Commutations with his Drug Sentence Commutations. — Adam Dick, The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity

14. Democrats Desert Abortion-Survivor Babies — Terence Jeffrey, The Daily Signal

Big Threats

15. ‘The Medical System Is Failing’: Why America’s Health Crisis Is Spiraling Out Of Control — R.E. Wermus, The Daily Signal 

16. Chinese Communist Party Quietly Operates Shadow Justice System In US Cities — Philip Lenczycki, DCNF

17. The Great COVID Cover-Up? Public Doubt Over Lab Leak Persists — Editorial Board, TIPP Insights

18. The Rise Of The Immortal Dictator: What Will AI Mean For Freedom And Government? — John & Nisha Whitehead, The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity