Record number of Americans name US government as most important problem: Poll
More than a third of Americans say government dysfunction and poor leadership is the greatest problem facing the United States, the highest percentage ever recorded to say so, according to a new survey.
The 35 percent of Americans that said government was the most important problem is nearly twice as high as the 18 percent recorded in November, the Gallup poll released on Monday found.
The previous high of 33 percent was recorded during the 2013 US government shutdown. Prior to 2001, the highest percentage mentioning government was 26 percent during the Watergate scandal in 1972. Thus, the current measure is the highest in at least 55 years.
Gallup has conducted monthly surveys since 1939 to see what Americans felt was the most important problem facing the country and has regularly compiled mentions of the government since 1964. The latest poll was taken February 1-10.
An analysis of the responses to the question from the latest Gallup survey finds that 11 percent of Americans specifically cite Republican President Donald Trump as the most important problem, while 5 percent name the Democratic Party and 1 percent name Congress.
About half of those who say the government is the most important problem blame both political parties or cite "gridlock," "lack of cooperation" or the federal shutdown more generally.
Since January 2017, about the time Trump took office, the government has been the top problem each month except in November 2017, and in July 2018.
Trump's first two years in office so far have produced the highest average mentions of government as the most important problem for recent presidents, Gallup said.
Americans' views of the government itself as a problem -- rather than the means of solving problems -- have increased over the past two decades, the polling organization said.
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