Poll: Reducing deficit and corruption among top priorities for next president

Large percentages of Americans say that reducing the federal budget deficit and fighting corruption in the federal government are "very important" priorities for the next president, a sign for Republicans that their economic messaging could be resonating.

Some 87 percent of those surveyed in a new Gallup poll released Monday said reducing corruption in the federal government was very or extremely important, second only to creating good jobs — a priority that more than nine out of 10 Americans see as important. Those surveyed said reducing the federal budget was their third highest priority for the next administration, with 44 percent saying it was “extremely” important and 42 percent agreeing it was “very” important.

Other issues that more than three-quarters of Americans agreed should be a top priority: improving schools, ensuring the long-term stability of entitlement programs and setting a high moral standard for the nation.

Meanwhile, some of President Obama's priorities languished near the bottom of the list. Less than half of those surveyed said increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans was very important, and only 52 percent said the same about dealing with environmental concerns.

Unsurprisingly, Obama and Romney voters split significantly on how they prioritized major issues. The president's backers were more likely to identify healthcare as a priority by a 29 percent margin, and favor dealing with environmental concerns, increasing taxes on wealthy Americans or improving schools by at least 20-point gaps.

Romney supporters, meanwhile, are likely to prioritize the budget deficit, moral standards and dealing with international threats at a higher clip.

The only priority where Democrats and Republicans were in perfect unity: the importance of creating good jobs.

"The candidate who Americans think has the better plans on each of these issues will have an advantage," said Gallup's Jeffrey Jones in a statement. "As of now, Americans believe Romney is better able to handle jobs and the deficit than Obama is. Still, the two candidates remain locked in a tight race, with voters' presidential preferences evenly divided."

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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