State of the Union 2026: Where Americans stand on key issues facing the nation
Ahead of the State of the Union, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys.
Health Policy
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Health Policy
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What the data says about Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges
Only about 6.9% of the total U.S. population buys health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges.
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Most Americans say government has a responsibility to ensure health care coverage
Most Americans (66%) say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage.
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How Do Americans View Childhood Vaccines, Vaccine Research and Policy?
A majority of Americans say childhood vaccines are effective at preventing illness, but slightly fewer are confident that the vaccine schedule is safe.
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Have changes to CDC guidelines influenced Americans’ COVID-19 vaccine decisions?
A majority of U.S. adults (59%) say they don’t want to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
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Republicans’ Views of Justice Department, FBI Rebound as Democrats’ Views Shift More Negative
The U.S. Postal Service, Park Service, Weather Service and NASA are viewed favorably by Republicans and Democrats, while views of ICE are deeply polarized.
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Americans’ Views on Who Influences Health Policy and Which Health Issues To Prioritize
About seven-in-ten Americans say insurance companies have too much health policy influence, but partisans disagree on the CDC’s role.
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9 facts about Americans and marijuana
Around nine-in-ten U.S. adults say marijuana should be legal either for medical or recreational use. Just 12% say the drug should not be legal at all.
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From weight-loss drugs to raw milk, Americans hear more often about some health topics than others
About half of U.S. adults (53%) say they hear or read about Ozempic, Wegovy and similar drugs being used for weight loss extremely or very often.
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More Americans disapprove than approve of the job Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is doing as U.S. health secretary
Around seven-in-ten Democrats (72%) disapprove of the job Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is doing, compared with 14% of Republicans.
