Both George W. Bush and Al Gore have emphasized education in their campaigning so far in this presidential year, and given its importance to Americans, it is likely to remain at the forefront of the campaign as the election progresses. The most recent Gallup poll suggests not.
Education appears to be up for grabs.
Still, despite this year's changes in the rank order of top problems, the most striking aspect of the pattern of issue concerns today is that, unlike other periods in U.S. history, no single issue currently dominates the public landscape. Similarly, from 1991 to 1993, the economy consistently led the list, with at least half of Americans citing it as their main concern. At earlier points in history, large proportions of Americans agreed that such single issues as inflation or war were the nation's main areas of concern. This result is essentially on par with what Gallup has recorded in recent years. A wide variety of other issues are mentioned by a smaller number of Americans.