USA: A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted on Tuesday, one day before President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, found that 65% of Americans think their nation is headed in the wrong direction. Comparatively, just 58% of respondents expressed similar reservations last year, which represents a significant increase.
Biden's public approval rating is currently at a dismal 41%, well below the low of 36% it repeatedly hit last spring and summer but still problematic for a leader trying to win over voters for a second term on Tuesday evening when the president is scheduled to address Congress.
Inflation, which remains at the top of Americans' list of concerns in recent polling along with "the economy in general," was also praised in Biden's State of the Union speech for his legislative efforts.
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According to the White House, Biden would present a "unity agenda" emphasising cross-party cooperation on issues like cancer research, veteran health, general mental health, and the opioid epidemic.
However, none of those issues were included in Reuters' list of the top five concerns for Americans. According to the most recent polling data, the economy, which includes unemployment and employment, is second in importance to crime/corruption, immigration, the environment/climate, and inequality/discrimination. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all agreed that the economy is the country's top challenge in a rare display of bipartisan cooperation.
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According to a recent Associated Press poll, only 37% of Democrats want Biden to seek a second term as president. Only 13% of respondents said they had a great deal of confidence in the president's ability to carry out major policy objectives. They cited the president's age, their perception of his mental decline, and what they saw as his ineffectiveness at governing as their reasons for wanting new leadership.
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Biden's party managed a surprisingly strong showing in the 2022 midterm elections despite his low approval ratings. Republicans took over the House, but Democrats kept the Senate and avoided being swept away by a "red wave."