More Americans want attention on foreign policy: AP-NORC poll

More Americans want the government to pay more attention to foreign policy issues in 2024, according to a new poll.

Thirty-eight percent of Americans identified foreign policy as one of the top five issues that government should tackle in 2024, according to a new poll from The Associated Press (AP) and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted last month. This is more than double the percent of Americans who listed foreign policy as the top issue for 2023, when just 18 percent surveyed included the topic in their lists. 

Republicans and Democrats were each more likely to list foreign policy as an issue heading into 2024, according to the poll. Forty-six percent of Republicans included foreign policy and 34 percent of Democrats did the same.

In addition, 35 percent of respondents cited immigration and the border wall as one of their top concerns heading into the new year. This comes as Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the border and as numerous cities face an influx of migrants seeking asylum over the past year. 

The share of Americans listing immigration is also up from the December 2022 poll, when 27 percent included the issue in their responses. Immigration was the top issue for Republicans for 2024, with 55 percent including it, compared with just 22 percent of Democrats listing it. 

Similar shares of Americans listed inflation and the economy as their main concerns in December 2023 when compared with December 2022. Thirty percent said inflation was a top issue, while 24 percent said the economy. Education and student loans appear to still be a concern for Americans heading into 2024, with 22 percent including it in their responses.

The poll was conducted Nov. 30–Dec. 4, 2023, among 1,074 adults and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.