Economy, deficit top issues ahead of Obama speech: Poll

Americans are eager to hear US President Barack Obama address the economy and federal deficit in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, with more than half still convinced the nation is in a recession, a poll released on Monday found.

Gun policy and health care are also top concerns US voters want the President to discuss in his annual speech to the nation, according to the survey by Quinnipiac University.

Obama, who began his second term last month after winning re-election in November, is expected to use Tuesday night's speech to offer his plan for spurring the tepid economy, including proposals for investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and education.

The nationwide poll found 35 per cent of US voters said the economy was a top concern, while 20 per cent pointed to the federal deficit. It also showed 53 per cent said the US economy is still in a recession even though economists have said the downturn that began in late 2007 officially ended in July 2009. Fifteen per cent said the nation's gun policies were a top priority and 12 per cent said they were most concerned about health care, Quinnipiac found.

Its poll of 1,772 registered voters has a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points.

Obama's speech comes as US lawmakers grapple with the nation's $16 trillion debt and looming across-the-board government spending cuts slated to take effect on March 1. “Voters trust President Obama more than congressional Republicans on the economy and most other issues, but they are more closely divided on who would do a better job on the deficit and on gun control,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said.

The finding showed 47 per cent backed Obama to handle the economy compared to 41 per cent who said they trusted congressional Republicans, while 48 per cent said they had more trust in Republicans to cut federal spending compared to 39 who backed Obama.

Those polled were more closely split over whether Obama or Republicans could better handle immigration issues, Quinnipiac said.

Two-thirds of respondents said they were likely to watch the speech, with more women than men saying they would tune in, the poll also found.