Gallup Poll Finds Americans Prioritize Politics Over Economy
Gallup's March–Oct. 2025 poll of 107 countries found 33% of Americans named politics the nation's top issue.
Overview
Gallup's World Poll, conducted March–Oct. 2025, found 33% of U.S. adults named politics and government the country's top problem, a share surpassed only by Taiwan, according to Gallup.
Benedict Vigers of Gallup said the United States' position in the March–Oct. 2025 survey is "really unique," reflecting heightened concern about democratic stability after decades of partisan polarization.
Gallup found about one-third of Americans 35 and under listed economic issues and affordability as the top problem, compared with 13% of those 55 and older.
The poll surveyed people aged 15 and older in 107 countries between March and Oct. 2025, with margins of sampling error ranging from ±2.4 to ±4.7 percentage points, Gallup said.
Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth political scientist, said in an interview that "having a stable society and rule of law without social trust is really difficult," warning low trust could erode democratic norms.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame U.S. anxiety as a crisis of democratic stability by prioritizing Gallup data linking politics to public worry, using evaluative language (e.g., 'exceptionally anxious'), invoking January 6 and Trump's rise, and quoting experts who stress institutional risk—while giving little space to countervailing views about institutional resilience or partisan normalcy.
Sources (3)
FAQ
33% of U.S. adults named politics and government as the country's top problem.
The U.S. share of 33% was surpassed only by Taiwan.
About one-third of Americans 35 and under listed economic issues and affordability as the top problem, compared with 13% of those 55 and older.
The poll surveyed people aged 15 and older in 107 countries between March and October 2025 using telephone or face-to-face interviews with random selection, weighted for demographics, and margins of error from ±2.4 to ±4.7 percentage points.
Benedict Vigers of Gallup described the U.S. position as 'really unique,' reflecting heightened concern about democratic stability after decades of partisan polarization.
History
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