Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Americans Say Government is Our Greatest Problem
Americans Say Government is Our Greatest Problem
Dec 21, 2025 11:46 AM

What is the worst problem facing America? According to a recent Gallup poll, most Americans agree with former President Reagan, who said government is not a the solution, government is the problem.

An average of 16 percent of Americans in 2015 mentioned some aspect of government—including President Obama, Congress, or political conflict—as the country’s chief problem. The economy came in second with 13 percent mentioning it, while unemployment and immigration tied for third at 8 percent.

While government takes the top slot, that’s still an answer given by fewer than one in five citizens. We can’t even seem e to a consensus about our biggest problems. Indeed, 2015 is only the second time since 2001 (2014 was the other year) that no single issue averaged 20 percent or more for the year. Rather than being focused on a single issue, there is a broad range of concerns troubling us; more than a dozen issuesreceived2-6 percent of the vote for worst problem.

Perhaps not surprising since this is an election year, thiswas the first year since 2007 in which immigration was one of the top four most frequently cited problems. Gallup notes that this is likely because mentions of healthcare dropped from 10 percent in 2014 (when Obamacare was frequently in the news) to 6 percent in 2015.

Rounding out the top 10 were five problems, each averaging 5 percent: ethical/moral decline, race relations/racism, terrorism, the federal budget deficit or debt, and education.

Six other issues received 3 percent each: poverty/hunger/homelessness, national security, gap between rich and poor, crime/violence, foreign aid, and ISIS/situation in Iraq.

What would make the top three issue in you list of America’s greatest problems.

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Charles Murray: ‘We need a cultural Great Awakening’
In response to increasing economic disruption and drastic social shifts in American life, Sen. Mike Lee recently launched the Social Capital Project, a multi-year research project dedicated to investigating “the evolving nature, quality, and importance of our associational life.” As I recently noted, the project’s first report highlights the connections between “associational life” and the nation’s economic success, stopping short ofspecific policy solutions. “In an era where many of our conversations seem to revolve around the individual and large institutions,...
The EU’s plan to fight ‘inequality’ is undermined by its own data – and King Solomon
Economic growth is so vibrant in Europe that it is time to begin redistributing all the excess wealth, according to EU officials in Brussels. The European Commission issued its country-specific resolutions on Monday, and it believes the recovery from the Great Recession has been robust enough for EU members to turn their vision bating “economic inequality.” “This year, addressing inequality is firmly at the heart of our assessment,” said Marianne Thyssen, the EC’s Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and...
Did ‘inequality’ cause the Manchester bombing?
The mind boggles as it tries prehend what could drive someone to bomb a crowd of concert-goers, many of them children, in the name of his or herreligion. Some, however, believe they have the answer: economic inequality. In a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic, Fr. Peter Farrington – a Coptic priest in the UK – notes that this facile explanation for the darkness that lies within the human heart enjoys the patronage of some of the West’s most...
What are the arguments against international trade?
Note: This is post #35 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Does trade harm workers by reducing the number of jobs in the U.S.? Is it wrong to trade with countries that use child labor? In this video by Marginal Revolution University, Alex Tabarrok discusses some of the mon arguments against international trade. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow, I’d mend watching them at 1.5 to 2 times the speed. You can adjust the...
25 Facts about Africa
May 25 is Africa Day, a holiday originally created to celebrate the foundation of the Organization of African Unity (now known as the African Union) on May 25, 1963. In honor of memoration, here are 25 facts you should know about the continent: 1. The continent has 54 independent states and one “non-self-governing territory” (Western Sahara). 2. Before colonial rule prised up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs. 3. The mon language spoken on...
Wim Decock named the 2017 Novak Award winner
Professor Wim Decock In recognition of Professor Wim Decock’s outstanding research into the fields of theology, religion and economic history, the Acton Institute will be awarding him the 2017 Novak Award. Professor Wim Decock teaches legal history at the Universities of Leuven and Liège (Belgium). He is an associate fellow at Emory University’s Centre for the Study of Law and Religion (USA) and an affiliate researcher at the Max-Planck-Institute for European Legal History (Germany). Decock holds an M.A. in Classics,...
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: White House Chief of Staff
Note: This is the post #18 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:White House Chief of Staff Department: Executive Office of the President Current staffer:Reince Priebus Department Budget: Primary Duties of the Secretary:While the roles of the chief of staff varies by presidential administration, they usually include the following: • Select key White House staff and supervise them; • Structure the White House staff...
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Trade Representative
Note: This is the post #19 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Department: Office of the United States Trade Representative, which is part of the Executive Office of the President Current Representative:Robert Lighthizer Department Mission:“The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international modity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other...
Video: Lawrence Reed on real heroes
On May 18th, the spring 2017 Acton Lecture Series wrapped up with an address from Lawrence Reed, president of the Foundation for Economic Education. Reed’s talk was based on his recently released book,Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction. We’re pleased to share the video of his lecture below. ...
A rift with ‘Europe,’ or just the EU?
After last weekend’s G-7 and NATO summits, leading figures would have the world believe that transatlantic relations are rougher than ever, literally as well as figuratively. The media have highlighted such ephemera as President Trump’s allegedly pushing the prime minister of Montenegro and his white-knuckle handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron. European politicians, however, speak in starker tones about the twin threats of a Trump presidency and an impending Brexit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her despair at a campaign...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved