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What's the Nation's No. 1 Problem?

It's the government, stupid.

Bill Clinton won a presidential campaign with the motto, "It's the economy, stupid." But these days the top issue to most Americans is the government, according to a new Gallup poll.

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Some 21 percent of Americans polled in the Jan. 5-8 survey said that the most important problem facing the country today is the government itself - including poor leadership, corruption, abuse of power and general dissatisfaction with Congress and politicians in general.

The second most important issue cited by respondents in the Gallup survey was the economy (at 18 percent), followed by unemployment/jobs (16 percent) and health care (also 16 percent).

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Four times as many Americans now identify health care as the nation's most important problem, as was the case a year ago. Among respondents 55 and older, 19 percent identified it as the top problem, up from 6 percent in 2013.

For all ages, but especially for those 55 and older, the federal budget deficit has dropped markedly as a concern. Just 6 percent of older Americans rate it the top issue now, compared with 24 percent a year ago.

 

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