September 30, 2014      10:43 AM
Lyceum Poll finds Texans are worried about economy, immigration, and national security
Texans’ impression of the economy seems to be improving; “Even in a red state, ambivalent attitudes show context matters.”
Billed as “Texas’ only
independent poll” the newly released Texas Lyceum Poll showed that – as has
been the case in the past – people who live here have differing concerns based on
whether you ask them about the state or the nation a whole. The numbers
unveiled Tuesday are about fiscal and social issues while the second part of
the poll, slated for release on Wednesday, will deal with head-to-head political
contests including the races for governor and lite guv.
The economy, immigration
and political corruption top the worries of Texans about the nation. The mood
about the economy seems to be getting better, however. In 2013, “35 percent of
respondents cited the economy or jobs/unemployment as the country’s most
pressing problem.” Now, that number is down considerably at 20 percent.
Naturally, there is
partisan structure when you ask Texans to list what issues are top of mind. From
the pollsters:
“Both Democrats and
Republicans still perceive the economy to be the most important problem facing
the country, with 14 percent and 17 percent choosing it respectively, but
differ in their secondary and tertiary selections. The second most chosen issue
among Democrats was immigration (10 percent) followed by war (9 percent). For
Republicans, the second most selected issue was national security/terrorism (12
percent) followed by political corruption/leadership (10 percent).”
But when asking what
problems are most important for Texas, the picture changes:
By Scott Braddock
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