The majority of Americans are seriously concerned about rising crime in their cities, as President Joe Biden’s national approval rating takes a nosedive.
A new Marist Polling survey found that Biden’s approval rating dropped four percentage points in March to 42%, falling from 46% in a February poll conducted around the president’s State of the Union speech.
The poll revealed that 68% of Americans believe that crime is a “real threat in most communities.”
The poll highlights how crime is not a partisan issue among voters, with 58% of Democrat respondents viewing it as a threat, while 80% of Republicans believe it is an issue, and 69% of independents are also worried about crime in their communities.
While the majority of respondents view crime as a serious issue, just 31% think it is blown out of proportion. According to the poll, 50% of all voters disapprove of Biden’s handling of crime.
Recent studies revealed an uptick in crime over the past few years, with homicides increasing in Portland by 236% since 2019, in Chicago by 41%, and Philadelphia by 45%, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s 2022 crime report.
The economy was the issue of top concern to 31% of Americans, followed by preserving democracy being most important to 20% of respondents and health care the top issue to 9%.
According to the poll, the economy was the most pressing issue to both Republicans, 48%, and independents, 33%. Despite inflation being up 6% in February, preserving democracy was the number one issue to 25% of likely-Democratic voter respondents.
“President Biden’s improved standing after the State of the Union was short-lived. With a struggling economy, the Trump investigations, and a host of other issues, the political agenda remains crowded, and Biden has been unable to sustain any traction,” Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said of the results.
The majority of Americans, 54%, support a bill banning sex changes for minors, while 43% do not support a bill preventing children from using medical care to change their gender.
The poll was conducted from March 20-23, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.