Wisconsin residents want Congress to make the economy and jobs the top national priority, according to a poll released Wednesday by Wisconsin Public Radio and St. Norbert College.
The Wisconsin Survey asked Wisconsin residents about a range of issues, including health care, foreign policy, national security, immigration and the economy.
According to the survey, 49 percent of Wisconsin residents said the economy and jobs were the most important issues, surpassing foreign policy with 9 percent and immigration by 2 percent.
Respondents expressed the most overall concern with President Barack Obama's handling of the economy, corporate reform and unemployment. Fifty percent of respondents said they approved of Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan, and 53 percent approved of his handling of Iraq.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they believed the country to be moving in the wrong direction. Thirty-eight percent said it was moving in the right direction, down from 41 percent in spring 2009.
Obama's approval rating in the poll is currently closely split but has indicated an overall negative trend. Forty-four percent of respondents approve of how he is handling his presidential duties, while 50 percent disapprove. His approval rating was 60 percent in spring 2009 and 50 percent in fall 2009.
The 400 respondents were chosen by a random selection of landline telephones from March 23 to March 31.
