Senior Citizens' Political Issues Not on Minds of
Politicians or Voters
Top senior issue is Social Security picked by just
4%, just 2% say Medicare
Sept. 19, 2007 Political issues traditionally
branded as senior citizen issues are not receiving much attention in
the presidential campaigns, but, the public does not seem to be very
interested in them either. A recent Harris Poll found only four percent
of the Americans ranking Social Security as an important issue but that
was far ahead of other senior issues.
Although Social Security was only selected by 4%,
it did rank number seven among the issues.
Medicare, the next highest rated senior issue was
number 18 and selected as an important issue by only 2%.
Both Social Security and Medicare have dropped in
importance since this polling began in 1997.
Another senior issue - Programs for the elderly
(not Medicare/Social Security) came in 38th and was selected by only
1%.
Generally, this poll indicates the obvious - the
war in Iraq so dominates political thinking and public concern that
everything else is pushed to the background.
In the chart below the news story, several other
issues that heavily impact senior citizens are highlighted in
blue-green. These, too, are not highly rated and jhave dropped in
importance.
Those participating in the survey were asked to
select the two most important issues for the government to address.
Harris Interactive contacted 1,000 U.S. adults by telephone between
September 7 and 10, 2007.
Looking at the most important issue for the
government to address, almost three in ten (29%) cite the War, while 11%
say Iraq.
With the roller coaster ride that Wall Street has
been on recently, it is not surprising that the economy has risen as an
issue. This month, 16 percent of Americans say it is one of the two most
important issues for the government to address compared to 10 percent
who said so in July.
The same number (16%) say health care is one of the
most important issues to address, followed by 13 percent say
immigration.
The survey also found almost two-thirds (63%)
believe that things in the country are going off on the wrong track
while just one-quarter (24%) believe things are going in the right
direction. Again, this is slightly up from mid summer. In July, 19
percent believed things were going in the right direction, while seven
in ten (70%) believed things in the country were going off on the wrong
track.
Other key findings included:
President George W. Bushs ratings remain at the
bottom. This month, just three in ten Americans (31%) give his job
performance positive marks while two-thirds (67%) give his job negative
ratings. In fact, 42 percent of Americans find his performance to be
poor, the lowest of the ratings.
Opinions of Congress overall, as well as the two
parties, are also low.
Both the President and Congress are definitely not
winning any friends among the American public. At least two-thirds of
people have negative things to say about their job performance and this
is a number that has been holding steady for some time now. The question
becomes, is this the floor or can these numbers across the board go
any lower?
Most
Important Issues for Government to Address
"What do you think are the two most important
issues for the government to address?"
Spontaneous,
unprompted replies
|
Rank |
Issues |
97 |
98 |
99 |
00 |
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
06 |
07 |
07 |
07 |
|
May |
Jan |
Feb |
Aug |
Dec |
Dec |
June |
Oct |
Aug |
June |
Nov |
Feb |
July |
Sept |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
1 |
(The) war |
X |
X |
X |
X |
12 |
18 |
8 |
35 |
41 |
27 |
33 |
29 |
27 |
29 |
|
2 |
Healthcare (not Medicare) |
10 |
11 |
12 |
15 |
5 |
10 |
14 |
18 |
11 |
12 |
15 |
12 |
19 |
16 |
|
3 |
The economy (non-specific) |
8 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
32 |
34 |
25 |
28 |
19 |
14 |
12 |
9 |
10 |
16 |
|
4 |
Immigration |
2 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
20 |
11 |
7 |
13 |
13 |
|
5 |
Iraq
/ (Saddam Hussein) |
* |
* |
1 |
X |
X |
11 |
3 |
9 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
11 |
|
6 |
Education |
15 |
14 |
21 |
25 |
12 |
11 |
13 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
|
7 |
Social security |
6 |
6 |
24 |
16 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
8 |
(Programs for) the poor/ poverty |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
* |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
9 |
Domestic/social issues (non-specific) |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
10 |
Military/defense |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
11 |
Terrorism |
X |
X |
X |
X |
22 |
17 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
|
12 |
Employment/jobs |
5 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
|
13 |
Crime/violence |
19 |
13 |
8 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
14 |
Budget/Government spending |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
5 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
|
15 |
Taxes |
14 |
16 |
12 |
13 |
6 |
5 |
11 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
|
16 |
Gas and oil prices |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
1 |
10 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
|
17 |
Inflation |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
18 |
Medicare |
4 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
19 |
Abortion |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
20 |
National security |
X |
X |
2 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
21 |
Environment |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
|
22 |
Homeland/domestic security/public safety |
X |
X |
X |
X |
8 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
23 |
Human/civil/women's rights |
2 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
24 |
Drugs |
8 |
6 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
* |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
25 |
Foreign policy (non-specific) |
3 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
|
26 |
Honesty/Integrity/Moral Values |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
2 |
2 |
1 |
* |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
27 |
Welfare |
14 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
* |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
28 |
Religion (decline of) |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
29 |
Energy |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
30 |
Peace/world peace/nuclear arms |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
31 |
Corporate fraud/scandals |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
1 |
* |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
|
32 |
Bush/president |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
* |
1 |
1 |
|
33 |
Homelessness |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
34 |
Ethics in government |
* |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
* |
1 |
1 |
|
35 |
Race Relations |
X |
2 |
* |
1 |
1 |
* |
* |
X |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
|
36 |
Housing |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
1 |
* |
* |
1 |
* |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
37 |
Personal Finances |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
|
38 |
Programs for the elderly (not Medicare/Social Security) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
39 |
Second Amendment (right to bear arms) |
X |
* |
* |
* |
* |
X |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
1 |
* |
|
40 |
School safety |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
2 |
* |
1 |
1 |
* |
* |
1 |
* |
|
41 |
Family values (decline of) |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
* |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
* |
|
42 |
Judicial/Legal Issues |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
* |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
* |
|
43 |
Middle East peace process between Palestinians and Israel |
X |
X |
X |
X |
2 |
2 |
2 |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
|
44 |
Same sex rights |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
1 |
2 |
* |
1 |
1 |
* |
|
45 |
Medical research |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
2 |
2 |
1 |
* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
* |
|
46 |
Downsizing government |
X |
X |
X |
1 |
* |
X |
X |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
1 |
* |
* |
|
47 |
AIDS |
* |
1 |
X |
* |
* |
* |
2 |
X |
* |
* |
* |
2 |
* |
* |
|
48 |
Other1 |
8 |
19 |
2 |
19 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
1 |
6 |
8 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
|
49 |
Not sure/refused/no issue |
9 |
12 |
16 |
18 |
11 |
10 |
12 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
9 |
9 |
5 |
11 |
* = Less than 0.5%, X = Not mentioned as specific
issue
1 Including government/politics
(nonspecific), disaster/Hurricane relief, Foreign Aid, trade,
disability, promoting democracy, election/voter reform , Supreme Court,
youth and FEMA
>>
Read more on Harris Poll
