Voters have reflected that crime and the economy are two of the issues of most concern in the country. According to polls conducted over several months, citizens trust Republicans, in some cases by more than 20 points more than Democrats to handle both of these crucial issues with a month to go before the midterm elections.
CNN's Harry Enten: Americans trust Republicans on crime more than Democrats by 23 points
"The more that voters care about crime, the worse it is for Democrats" pic.twitter.com/K1J8My4Eo6
- RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 4, 2022
GOP rises, Democrats fall
A Gallup poll asked voters: "Which political party do you think can better handle the issue you consider most important: the Republican Party or the Democratic Party?" This year, respondents chose Republicans (48%) over Democrats (37%).
The 11-point margin in favor of the GOP is the largest lead the party has had in the last 20 years. The last time Republicans had a larger lead was in 1946, heading into the midterm elections, when the party led by 17 points and won 55 seats in the House.
Polls have also been revealing for months that the majority of Americans disapprove of President Biden's handling of both key issues, crime and the economy, even as his approval rating has been inconsistent.
Wages decline
The economy, especially inflation, is consistently ranked as the number one priority for voters. A new Monmouth University poll found that 82% of citizens ranked inflation as an extremely or very important issue.
Consumer inflation reached its highest levels in four decades earlier this year and continues to make the two most basic and essential living costs (food and housing) extremely high for workers.
Wages fail to keep up with rising prices. The Labor Department said average weekly earnings declined 3.4% over the past 12 months. Several estimates show that households will lose thousands of dollars this year as inflation rises faster than wages.
Crime wave
The latest Rasmussen Reports survey found that 83% of citizens believe that crime is a major problem and 62% believe that crime is getting worse. Other recent polls have shown similar results amid a wave of violent crime.
This year has seen an increase in violent crime in several of the country's major cities. Between 2020 and 2021 violent crime in urban areas increased 29%, according to the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey recently released by the Department of Justice. The survey does not include murders, although the FBI revealed this week that homicides increased in the country in 2021.
