Americans say Republicans have better plans than Democrats on key issues

More Americans say that Republicans, rather than Democrats, have better plans to deal with many of the top issues facing the country, according to a new national poll.

Forty percent of adults nationwide questioned in a Reuters/Ipsos survey said Republicans have a better plan to deal with crime, compared to 20% who said the same thing about the Democrats’ proposals.

The GOP had an 18 percentage point edge over the Democratic Party when it comes to plans to deal with immigration, a 12-point edge over the Democrats on dealing with foreign conflicts, and a 10-point advantage on handling the economy, according to the new poll.

The Republicans’ advantage over the Democrats on the economy came despite the new survey indicating 54% felt the nation’s economy is on the wrong track, with only 35% giving President Donald Trump a thumbs up for the job he’s doing handling the economy.

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Trump’s approval rating on dealing with the cost of living was even lower, at 28%, in the survey, which was conducted Sept. 19-21.

The president’s campaign trail promise last year to handle continued inflation amid affordability concerns helped propel him back into the White House, and aided Republicans as they won back the Senate majority and protected their fragile control of the House.

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The Reuters/Ipsos poll also indicated Americans feel the GOP, by slight margins, has better plans than the Democrats to deal with gun control, political extremism, and corruption.

According to the survey, Democrats top Republicans when it comes to plans to deal with the environment, healthcare, women’s rights, and respect for democracy.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speak at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on June 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Americans have lost faith in the Democratic Party – even on Dems’ historically more advantageous issues like gun control. That’s the opposite of what usually happens to the opposition party during a President’s first year in office,” veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz wrote in a social media post, as he pointed to the Reuters/Ipsos survey.

The new survey follows a national poll conducted in July that found that while the Republican Party has lost some ground to the Democratic Party on handling key issues, voters are more likely to think the GOP has a clear plan for dealing with the country’s problems.”

The survey found, by a 10-point margin, more voters thought that the Republicans had a clear plan for the U.S. than the Democrats: 43% vs. 33%.  

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But majorities felt that neither party had a clear plan.

According to the poll, nearly eight in ten Republicans were confident their party had a clear plan, compared to just 51% of Democrats.