What a Difference a Year Makes: The Most Important Problems Facing the U.S. Today

In Fall 2019, students in Professor of Government Erika Franklin Fowler’s GOVT372 Political Communication in a Polarized Age course conducted a survey of Wesleyan students. Among the questions asked of the 700 participants was “Which of the following do you think is the most important problem facing the United States today?” In the summer of 2020, Franklin Fowler and Associate Professor of Government Logan Dancey performed a follow-up survey of the same students, adding one additional issue—COVID-19—to the list of choices. Just over 400 students responded to the follow-up survey.