Record-High Worry in U.S. About Hunger, Race Relations

One year after the coronavirus pandemic upended Americans’ lives and caused an economic crisis, worry about hunger and homelessness in the country eclipses concerns about 13 other national issues for the first time. {snip}

{snip}

Yet, it is not just COVID-19 that is behind substantial increases in the public’s worry levels over the past year. The 17-point surge in high-level worry about race relations, to a record-high 48%, is likely owed to increased attention to racial injustice in the U.S. after the death of George Floyd while in police custody last May.

{snip}

There are also eight-point increases in the percentages saying they worry a great deal about three other issues — crime and violence (to 50%), the way income and wealth are distributed in the U.S. (to 46%), and illegal immigration (to 40%). Changes in worry about the remaining six issues are five points or less.

{snip}

There is little common ground among partisans on these measures, with just two of the 14 issues garnering similarly high levels of worry from Republicans/Republican-leaning independents and Democrats/Democratic-leaning independents: Roughly four in 10 in each party group express a great deal of worry about drug use and unemployment.

Majorities of Republicans express a great deal of worry about illegal immigration, the federal budget deficit, the economy, and crime and violence. At the same time, majorities of Democrats say they are similarly worried about the quality of the environment, race relations, healthcare, hunger and homelessness, and the distribution of wealth.

The greatest difference in partisans’ levels of worry is for illegal immigration. While partisans’ views of illegal immigration are typically polarized, the latest gulf is particularly high — and is likely due to President Joe Biden taking office and his administration’s recent handling of the southern U.S. border.

{snip}

Concerns about the quality of the environment and race relations are likewise very polarized, but with Democrats expressing greater concern than Republicans. While the gap in partisans’ levels of worry about race relations is similar to last year’s, the gap in their levels of concern about the environment has narrowed by 18 points, as Republicans have become more worried and Democrats have become somewhat less worried with Biden in office.

{snip}