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On March 7, 2024, Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union Address—one of the most important speeches of his presidency.
Speaking in the House Chamber to a joint session of Congress, President Biden effectively drew election battle lines as he covered the broad themes of his reelection campaign.
The US President highlighted key achievements of his first term in office and made the case that voters should give him a second.
Biden also covered immigration, abortion, the economy, and Gaza.
Nearly three-quarters of American adults (73%) say strengthening the economy should be a top priority. In fact, of the 20 policy goals the Pew Research Center asked about, no other issue stands out so emphatically.
The survey revealed other, equally compelling statistics. About six-in-10 US adults (63%) say defending the country from future terrorist attacks should be a political priority this year.
According to survey results, 62% of American adults—including similar shares of Democrats (65%) and Republicans (60%)—say reducing the influence of money in politics should be a top policy goal this year.
Meanwhile, 60% of those surveyed think that prioritizing the reduction in healthcare costs should be a key policy.
Similarly, 60% of Americans believe improving education should be a top priority of the government.
And 60% of those surveyed urge the government to make Social Security financially sound.
Along with terrorism, crime is a growing concern. Around 58% of Americans believe reducing crime should be a top priority. But Republicans place more emphasis on these issues than Democrats.
About 57% of Americans say dealing with immigration should be a top policy goal for the president and Congress this year. The growing number of migrant encounters at the southern border has emerged as a key issue in the 2024 election cycle, notes the Pew Research Center.
The opioid crisis in the United States is of major concern, and 55% of Americans believe reducing the availability of illegal drugs needs to be made a top priority by the government.
Fifty-four percent of Americans say reducing the budget deficit needs to be a top policy goal for the president and Congress in 2024.
Nearly 52% of Americans would like to see an improvement in the way the political system works.
Many Americans, in fact 49% of those surveyed, say that improving the job situation across the nation should be high on the list of government priorities.
Forty-six percent of Americans believe the president and Congress should make improving the energy system a top priority.
Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say protecting the environment (63% vs. 23%) should be a top policy priority for 2024. Pictured is the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Addressing poverty and dealing with the problems of the poor is regarded as a top policy priority by 44% of Americans.
Forty-four percent of Americans say that improving transport services and infrastructure needs to be prioritized.
Strengthening military capability is seen by 40% of Americans as a top policy priority for the government.
The survey revealed wide partisan gaps on climate policy. Mirroring the response to environmental issues, Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to say climate change (59% vs. 12%) should be a top policy priority for the government and Congress. In fact, according to Pew, addressing climate change ranks last on Republicans' list of priorities this year.
Only 32% of Americans say addressing issues around race should be a top policy priority.
And just 31% of Americans feel that dealing with global trade merits top priority.
Sources: (Pew Research Center) (U.S. News & World Report) (Reuters) (CNN) (BBC)
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In an often fiery speech, Biden raised several issues including calling for support for Ukraine and warning of the potency of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With a general election looming, the president also took aim at his likely opponent Donald Trump. Referring to him only as his "predecessor," Biden criticized Trump's recent comments about Russia and NATO, and said that he sought to "bury the truth" about the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
In America, an estimated 27.3 million people watched US President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech, according to Nielsen ratings data from 16 television networks. In addition, more than six in 10 Americans had a positive reaction to the speech, according to a CNN poll conducted by SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
But where exactly do the American people stand on the economy, immigration, and other key issues?
In the run-up to President Biden's State of the Union Address, a survey conducted in January 2024 by the Pew Research Center looked at public opinion on key issues facing the country. The results make for interesting reading.
Joe Biden's State of the Union Address on March 7, 2024, provided the US president with an opportunity to speak about important issues facing the American people. Biden's speech covered the broad themes of his reelection campaign, but skirted around other key issues that, according to a pre-March 7 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, some Americans believe should be a top priority for the government and Congress. So, what exactly did the analysis reveal?
Click through and find out what ordinary everyday Americans are worried about in 2024.
What are Americans worried about?
Did the State of the Union speech address everybody?
LIFESTYLE Politics
Joe Biden's State of the Union Address on March 7, 2024, provided the US president with an opportunity to speak about important issues facing the American people. Biden's speech covered the broad themes of his reelection campaign, but skirted around other key issues that, according to a pre-March 7 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, some Americans believe should be a top priority for the government and Congress. So, what exactly did the analysis reveal?
Click through and find out what ordinary everyday Americans are worried about in 2024.