Americans said they view the economy as the top policy priority the next president should tackle upon entering the White House in 2017, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.
Roughly 19 percent of voters responded that the candidate who succeeds President Obama, regardless of party, must handle the economy as the nation’s primary concern.
Immigration ranked as the second most important priority. Fourteen percent of Americans pegged it as a top concern.
Concerns about health care and the costs associated with medical care followed, along with anxieties surrounding defense, national security, and education.
The responses revealed similar trends to those found in a January Gallup poll.
"The issues on which the public wants the next president to focus haven't changed after five additional months of intense campaigning and issue discussion in the string of debates held during that time," the report said.
"Not only do Americans spontaneously mention the economy more often than any other issue, but they also name several other economically related priorities, including the federal deficit, wages and the decline of the middle class, jobs, unemployment, taxes and poverty."
The economy also topped the list as the most important determinant while voters decide who to cast their vote for. More than nine in 10 Americans responded that the issue will be "extremely important" and "very important."
A slightly lower number of Americans replied that employment and jobs are their primary issue when choosing a candidate.
Gallup surveyed 1,530 adults through landline and cell phones May 18-22. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.