Americans Name US Government, Politicians Among 2014 Top Concerns: Poll

The Friday Gallup poll is the first since 2007 where the economy is not among the top concerns of Americans, and the first time since 2001 that the US government ranks as the top important problem facing the country.

WASHINGTON, January 2 (Sputnik)- As the new year begins, Americans say that the "most important problem" that the United States faced in 2014 was Congress, politicians and the US government, a poll from Gallup revealed on Friday.

"In 2014, four issues generated enough public concern over enough months for at least 10% of Americans, on average, to identify each of them as the nation's most important problem," the Gallup poll read. "Complaints about government leadership including President Barack Obama, the Republicans in Congress and general political conflict led the list, at 18%."

The Friday poll was the first since 2007 where the economy was not among the top concerns of Americans, and the first time since the survey began in 2001 that the US government ranked as the top important problem facing the country.

Seventeen percent of Americans said the economy was among their biggest concerns of 2014, 15 percent said it was unemployment and job and 10 percent named healthcare their top concern, according to the poll.

The survey warned that if the US government continues to be public's top concern, it could affect the 2016 presidential elections.

"The dispersion of public concern seen in 2014 may also have implications for the 2016 presidential election," the poll read. "Should it persist, the lack of a single defining public issue could make candidates' task of honing a message for the election more complex."

Cluster of Concerns Vie for Top U.S. Problem in 2014… http://t.co/IhJmyqoqDy pic.twitter.com/nZPRpbMcUr

— GallupNews (@GallupNews) 2 января 2015

The 114th newly elected Congress will begin returning to Washington, DC, from winter recess this weekend and will reconvene session on Tuesday, January 6.