War on terror/ Poll results

Figures released by Pew Research Center just days before President Obama’s State of the Union address show the US public has placed fighting terrorism above all other policy concerns including economic issues, for the first time in five years.

As views of the economy improve and terrorist threats persist, the public’s policy priorities have changed: more Americans cite defending the United States against terrorism (76 percent) as a top policy priority as say that about strengthening the nation’s economy (75 percent).

Since Barack Obama began his second term in January 2013, the economy has declined 11 points as a top priority, and improving the job situation has fallen 12 points (from 79 percent to 67 percent).

There has been little change over the past two years in the number saying that defending against terrorism should be a top priority; in fact, this has consistently been among the public’s leading policy goals since 2002. But it has moved to the top of the priorities list as the economy and jobs have fallen.

Older Americans attach more importance than younger Americans to defending against terrorism (84 percent vs. 69 percent).

US Public Sees Fighting Terrorism As Number One Priority