Four issues top list of Americans' concerns for 2014: Gallup

Complaints about government and general concerns over the economy, jobs and healthcare topped the list of the four most important issues for Americans in 2014, found a Gallup poll released Friday.

Complaints about government leadership -- including that of U.S. President Barack Obama, Republicans in Congress and general political conflict -- led the list at 18 percent. That was closely followed by mentions of the economy in general at 17 percent, unemployment or jobs at 15 percent and healthcare at 10 percent, Gallup found.

Beyond the top four issues, 8 percent of Americans named immigration as the country's most important problem, while 6 percent mentioned the federal budget deficit or debt, and 5 percent cited ethical or moral decline, Gallup found.

Some of the issues troubling Americans received uneven attention during the year. In particular, mentions of unemployment were consistently higher in the first half of 2014 than later in the year, reaching 23 percent in February.

Also, race relations, usually mentioned by no more than 2 percent of Americans as the nation's top problem, rose to 13 percent last month, as the recent police shootings of two unarmed black men -- Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City -- grabbed headlines nationwide, putting a spotlight on police relations with the nation's black community, according to Gallup.

Similarly, mentions of immigration spiked in July to 17 percent as thousands of undocumented children from Central and South America created a crisis at the southern U.S. border.

2014 was also the first year since the economy tanked seven years ago that the economy was not the top ranking issue, and it was the first year ever in Gallup records that dissatisfaction with government topped the list, according to Gallup.

Without a dominant issue such as the economy, the Iraq War or terrorism crowding out other issues as they have in years past, this is also only the third time since 2001 when three issues garnered at least 15 percent in average mentions. Thus, 2014 joins 2013 and 2009 as years when multiple issues emerged as significant top-of-mind concerns for Americans, Gallup found.