Economy tops list of U.S. problems as presidential debates come closer

With the first U.S. presidential debate coming up soon, the economy leads the long list of top concerns for Americans, found a Gallup poll released Friday.

Economy continues to lead the list at 14 percent, followed by dissatisfaction with government, at 11 percent, and jobs and unemployment, also at 11 percent, the Sept. 7-11 Gallup poll found.

There are a number of other major problems cited by Americans, including the election (8 percent), race relations (7 percent), immigration (6 percent), terrorism (5 percent), and national security (5 percent), the poll found.

These will likely be among the most pressing issues atop Americans' minds as they watch the two candidates, Democratic Party's Hillary Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump, debate for the first time on Sept. 26.

Indeed, this year's presidential election comes at a time when a large chunk of Americans are dissatisfied with the economy. While the official jobless rate has lowered, economists say the figure hides a number of issues and does not show a full bill of health for the U.S. economy.

Economic problems have been particularly severe among the nation's blue collar workers -- the bulk of Trump's supporters -- with many families struggling to get by.

The percentage of Americans who name the election or election reform as the greatest U.S. problem has been rising while the presidential campaign dominates political news coverage.

In recent election years, a smaller percentage of Americans, typically 1 percent to 2 percent, mentioned the election as the top problem for the U.S.

But the issue has gained prominence over the past year, likely because of the controversies surrounding Clinton and Trump, who are both highly unpopular.

As the economy, dissatisfaction with government and unemployment are regarded by Americans as their top concerns, they are likely to be the major discussion points in the upcoming presidential debates. Endit