A recent nationwide survey from Marquette Law School revealed that 35% of respondents listed inflation and the cost of living as their top issue. The results showed that this has been the top issue for those polled going back to January.
Notably, the economy was second, with 15% of respondents listing it as their top issue. The survey was conducted July 22-29, 2026, and included 1,076 adults from across the country.
The results also align with recent polling from other sources showing that Americans are increasingly concerned with higher costs for essential goods like food, gas, and housing.
These polls also reinforce that Our America is over the target, as we’ve focused a significant amount of our activism and organizational resources to combatting the cost of living crisis.
Please read our policy paper “Solutions to the Cost of Living Crisis” to learn more about our position on this issue. Our solutions include:
- Simplifying licensing procedures
- Dropping unnecessary degree requirements for certain jobs
- Tax relief on essential goods
- Reducing barriers to affordable housing
- Adopting a greater sense of fiscal responsibility
These are easy-to-understand, bipartisan policy reforms that would help millions of Americans gain access to more jobs, earn and keep more of their paycheck, and save money on everyday goods.
They’re the type of common-sense policies that everyone should be able to get behind, but that our leaders all too often ignore because they don’t generate big media headlines or win points with their most partisan supporters.
One thing that’s clear from these polls is that this election will be decided by the candidates who can provide real solutions. Americans don’t want or need more rhetoric, they want a plan that makes a difference.
