---
title: "What Was — and Wasn’t on the Public’s Mind"
description: "Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years — notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress. In the case of another continuing […]"
date: "2006-12-20"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2006/12/20/what-was-and-wasnt-on-the-publics-mind-2/"
categories:
  - "News Coverage"
---

# What Was — and Wasn’t on the Public’s Mind

Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years -- notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress. In the case of another continuing story, the succession of scandalous revelations involving lobbyists, members of Congress and other high-profile figures, intense media coverage failed to ignite immediate public outrage, but its cumulative effect was nonetheless apparent on election day.

[Read the full analysis at pewresearch.org](https://www.pewresearch.org/2006/12/20/what-was-and-wasnt-on-the-publics-mind/)