Four years ago, 60% of Americans said that dealing with the nation’s energy problems was a top priority, a number that dropped to 52% last year and now stands at 45%, according to our survey conducted in January. There was little partisan difference on the issue.

A majority of the public puts a priority on developing alternative energy sources while significantly fewer say it is more important to expand exploration of oil, coal and natural gas.

By a 54% to 37% margin, more Americans say the priority for addressing the nation’s energy supply should be developing alternative sources such as wind, solar and hydrogen over increased production of conventional fuels, according to our February survey. But support for putting the emphasis on alternative energy has declined since 2011, a period of rising gas prices. In 2011,  the margin of those favoring an emphasis on alternative energy was 63% to 29%.

There is a significant partisan divide on the question: 64% of Democrats favor putting the priority on alternative energy sources compared to 33% of Republicans. Conversely, 54% of Republicans think the expansion of exploration and production of oil, coal and natural gas is most important, compared to 28% of Democrats. About seven-in-ten (71%) of adults under 29 prioritize alternative energy sources, a far higher figure than older age groups.

Support for allowing more offshore drilling has increased, rebounding from a decline that occurred in the wake of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a survey conducted March 2012, more than twice as many favored than opposed offshore drilling (65% to 31%), a margin almost identical to what it had been before the Gulf oil spill. In June 2010, soon after the Gulf oil spill, support for offshore drilling had fallen to 44% while 52% were opposed. There is a big partisan divide on the question. Nearly nine-in-ten (89%) of Republicans favor more offshore oil drilling compared to 50% of Democrats.

Our March survey showed broad public support for another energy initiative — building the Keystone XL pipeline to transport oil from Canada’s oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas.

While support for the pipeline spans most demographic and partisan groups, there is a division among Democrats: 60% of the party’s conservatives and moderates support building the pipeline, compared with just 42% of liberal Democrats.

Views were more mixed in the March survey on the increased use of fracking, a drilling method that relies on high-pressure water and chemicals to extract oil and natural gas from underground rock formations.

Twice as many Republicans (66%) as Democrats (33%) favor the increased use of fracking.

The public is divided on whether there should be increased use of nuclear power.

The number of Americans favoring increased use of nuclear power rebounded modestly after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan. In our March 2012 survey, 44% favored greater use of nuclear power while 49% were opposed. The previous March, after Japan’s nuclear emergency, 39% had favored the greater use of nuclear power while 53% were opposed. A majority of Republicans (54%) favor using more nuclear power compared to 37% of Democrats.

On other energy policies, majorities of Americans support requirements for better fuel efficiency for vehicles and spending more on public transit, but are divided on giving tax cuts to energy companies for oil and gas exploration.

Nearly eight-in-ten Americans back requirements for better fuel efficiency in vehicles and 65% favor spending more on subway, rail and bus system. But the public is divided on whether to give tax breaks to oil companies to encourage exploration, with 50% opposing the idea and 49% favoring it.

While majorities of Republicans and Democrats back requiring better fuel efficiency, Democrats favor it by 88% compared to 67% for Republicans. About three-quarters (74%) of Democrats favor more spending on mass transit compared to 52% of Republicans. Nearly six-in-ten (61%) of Republicans support tax incentives for oil companies to encourage exploration, compared to 38% of Democrats. 

Browse our data point sheets on other topics:

Overview |Deficit and Debt| Economy | Middle Class | Gun Control | U.S.-China Relations | Immigration | Climate Change | Gay Marriage | U.S.-Middle East Relations | Foreign Policy | U.S. Catholics | Iran

VIDEO: Pew Research Center President Alan Murray talks with the Wall Street Journal’s Gerald Seib about President Obama’s State of the Union address and how it compares to the public’s priorities.

President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address to the nation on Tues., Feb. 12. A survey released ahead of his speech found that 43% of the public views the president’s address as about as important as past years’ addresses, and a third (32%) say Obama’s speech will be more important than those in past years. 

Here’s a roundup of Pew Research findings across 10 of the biggest public policy issues:

The Economy

• The economy and jobs remain the public’s top two priorities for the White House and Congress.
  
• 57% of Americans (and 74% of Republicans) say that President Obama won the battle over the “fiscal cliff.”
• Americans took a dim view of the fiscal cliff deal, saying it would hurt: the economy (46%), people like themselves (52%), efforts to curb the deficit (44%).
• Read more about Pew Research findings on the economy

Debt and Deficit

• 72% of Americans now say reducing the deficit is a top priority, up from 53% in Jan. 2009, including 84% of Republicans, 67% of Democrats and 71% of independents.
• Majorities of Americans oppose most deficit reduction measures, including reducing funding for education (77% disapprove), reducing transportation funding (67%) and reducing funding to help low-income people (58%).
• There are wide partisan gaps on many debt reduction proposals, including reducing military defense spending (+35 points Democrats) and reducing funding to help low-income people (+29 points Republicans).
• 74% say a combination of program cuts and tax increases is the best way to reduce the deficit.
• Read more about Pew Research findings on the debt and deficit

The Middle Class

• The median income for a middle-income, three-person household fell to $69,487 in 2010 from $72,956 in 2000 (in 2011 dollars.) Median net worth among the middle-income tier fell 28% to $93,150 in 2010 from $129,582 in 2000.
• 85% of those in the middle class say it is more difficult today than a decade ago to maintain their standard of living.
• The middle class blamed their difficulties on: Congress (62%), banks and financial institutions (54%) and large corporations (47%).
• Middle-class adults say they are: Democrats (34%), Republicans (25%) and independents (35%); conservative (39%), moderate (35%) and liberal (22%).
• Read more about Pew Research findings on the middle class

Gun Control

• 51% of Americans say it is more important to control gun ownership, while 45% say it is more important to protect gun rights.
  
• 47% say mass shootings reflect broader societal problems, 44% call them isolated acts of troubled individuals.
• There is broad public support for background checks for private and gun show sales (85%) and laws preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns (80%).
• There are large partisan divides on creating a federal database to track gun sales (35-point gap, Democrats favor), implementing a ban on assault-style weapons (25-point gap, Democrats favor) or having more teachers and school officials with guns in schools (33-point gap, Republicans favor).
• Read more about Pew Research findings on gun control

U.S. Foreign Policy

• 83% of Americans say that “we should pay less attention to problems overseas and concentrate on problems here at home,” up 10 points since 2002.
• 40% say the U.S. relies on military strength too much to achieve its foreign policy goals, 44% say about the right amount and 10% say too little.
• 63% say the U.S. should be less involved in Middle East leadership changes.
• Americans largely approve of the use of drones to target extremists, unlike most other nations surveyed.
• 71% say defending the nation from terrorism is a top priority.
• 60% support withdrawing troops from Afghanistan “as soon as possible.”
• Read more about Pew Research findings on foreign policy

U.S.-China Relations

• Americans now favor getting tougher with China (49%) over strengthening relations (42%) when it comes to economic policy.
  
• A median of 42% of countries now say China is the world’s leading economic power; 36% named the United States.
• Americans are more concerned about China’s economic strength (59%) than about its military strength (28%).
• 68% of Americans distrust China and 66% see it as a competitor.
• Chinese views of the U.S. have also turned negative (48% unfavorable, 43% favorable).
• Read more about Pew Research findings on U.S.-China relations

U.S.-Middle East Relations

• 57% of Americans do not believe the changes in the Middle East will lead to lasting improvements for people living in the affected countries.
  
• 63% of Americans say they want the U.S. less involved in Middle East leadership changes.
• 63% of Americans say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to do something about the fighting in Syria.
• 50% of the public sympathizes more with Israel, 10% sympathize more with the Palestinians, 13% say neither side and 4% say both.
• Read more about Pew Research findings on U.S.-Middle East relations

Immigration

• 39% of Americans say “dealing with illegal immigration” should be a top priority, ranking the issue 17th out of 21 issues.
  
• 42% of Americans prioritize both enhanced border security and a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants.
• The total immigrant population has grown to 40.4 million in 2011, while unauthorized immigration declined to 11.1 million.
• 36% of eligible Mexican immigrants have become natural U.S. citizens, half the rate of of legal immigrants from all other countries combined.
• Net migration to the U.S. from Mexico fell to zero in 2011 and may have reversed.
• Read more about Pew Research findings on immigration

Climate Change

• 28% of Americans say global warming is a top priority, ranking the issue last on this year’s list of 21 policy priorities.
• 67% of Americans believe there is solid evidence of global warming, including 91% of liberal Democrats and 43% of conservative Republicans.
• 42% of Americans attribute global warming mostly to human activity, while 19% say it is mostly due to natural patterns.
• Read more about Pew Research findings on climate change

Gay Marriage

• 48% of Americans favor gay marriage and 43% oppose it.
  
• Younger generations express higher levels of support (Millennials, 63%; Generation X, 52%), compared with older ones (Baby Boomers, 41%; Silent Generation, 33%).
• The religiously unaffiliated express the highest levels of support (73%), while white evangelical Protestants express the lowest (19%).
• Support varies widely by region and is strongest in New England (62%) and weakest in the South Central (35%).
• Read more about Pew Research findings on gay marriage

Browse all of our State of the Union tip sheets: 

Economy | Middle Class | Gun Control | U.S.-China Relations | U.S.-Middle East Relations | Immigration | Climate Change | Gay Marriage | Debt and Deficit | U.S. Foreign Policy

In the Pew Research Center’s annual policy priorities survey, released Jan. 24, 39% said that dealing with the issue of illegal immigration should be a top priority for the president and Congress. That placed it 17th on a list of policy priorities for the coming year.

Six years ago, shortly after the Bush administration’s failed efforts to revamp immigration laws, 55% viewed immigration as a top priority. Since then, immigration has fallen in importance among members of both parties, but the decline has been particularly dramatic among Republicans.

Today, just 44% of Republicans view illegal immigration as a top priority, down from 69% in 2007 and 61% as recently as two years ago. Six years ago, illegal immigration was the second-highest priority after terrorism for Republicans; today, it is tied for 12th.

Fewer Democrats and independents also rate illegal immigration as a top priority than they did in 2007. Just 40% of independents and 35% of Democrats see illegal immigration as a top priority, down from 53% and 50%, respectively, in 2007.

As Barack Obama and Mitt Romney prepare for their first debate on Oct. 3, the issues at the top of the voters’ agenda have changed little since 2008. Fully 87% of registered voters say that the economy will be very important to their vote, while 83% say jobs will be very important to their vote.

Four years ago, the economy also was the top priority for voters. In August 2008, an identical 87% said the economy was very important to their vote, and in October 2008, 80% rated jobs as very important.

However, the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 12-16 among 3,019 adults, including 2,424 registered voters, finds that several other issues have declined in importance since 2008. Most notably, energy policy rated among the most important electoral issues in 2008 – 77% said it was very important to their vote. Today it ranks near the bottom of the voting priorities list at 55%.

Terrorism also has declined as a voting priority. Currently, 60% of voters say the issue of terrorism will be very important to their vote, down from 72% in August 2008.

Immigration is also less of a focus in 2012. In the new survey, 41% view the issue of immigration as very important – the lowest of 12 issues tested – compared with 52% in August 2008.

The survey also finds that far more voters continue to favor a smaller government with fewer services than a bigger government that provides more services. Currently, 56% say they would rather have a smaller government providing fewer services; 35% prefer a bigger government. These opinions have changed little over the course of Obama’s presidency. In October 2008, however, opinion was more evenly divided (46% smaller government vs. 40% bigger government).

Economic issues continue to be the public’s highest priority as the 2012 State of the Union approaches. Fully 86% say that strengthening the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year, and 82% rate improving the job situation as a top priority.

The annual policy priorities survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 11-16 among 1,502 adults, finds that the federal budget deficit stands out as the fastest growing policy priority for Americans, largely because of increasing Republican concerns about the issue. Fully 69% rate reducing the budget deficit as a top priority — the most in any of the Pew Research Center’s annual policy priority updates going back to 1994.

Defending against terrorism and strengthening the military are given less priority today than over the course of the past decade. Republicans are placing far less emphasis on terrorism, which was their top priority in every year between 2002 and 2008, while opinions among Democrats and independents have shown far less change.

Read the full report for other major findings in these areas:

• Social Security and Medicare
• The environment
• Money and politics
• Illegal immigration
• Tax fairness
• Concerns about Iran
• The federal deficit
• Military spending

While a recession was gaining strength in 2007, the economic picture looked much brighter to Americans than it does today. Iraq and Afghanistan were still major public concerns, but now, as the last U.S. troops leave Iraq and thousands of troops remain in Afghanistan, only 4% mention these conflicts as top national problems, while 55% cite the economy.

On the political front, Democrats were gaining ground in party identification; since then they have lost ground. More Republican voters in 2007 viewed their presidential field as excellent or good than has been true in 2011. Public frustration with Washington has grown.

Read the full analysis, which compares current public opinion — and other key measures — to past data to see what has changed in the last four years.