With the first term of President Donald Trump in full swing, several issues have already been addressed while others are still waiting to be acknowledged. The majority of topics currently debated amongst the White House and the people include dissatisfaction with the government, immigration policies, terrorism and national security threats as well the economy and federal budget. However, as these issues are discussed, controversies regarding civil rights and race relations have arisen.

In light of all of these recent debates, a number of students were surveyed at Tompkins, asking them which of the following issues they believed to be the most important.

Dissatisfaction with the government and unification is one of the biggest issues talked about in today’s society. In accordance with Trump’s election motto “Make America Great Again”, complaints regarding the government and how it works have become hot debate topics.

According to a Gallup survey of 2014, 65-percent of the American people were somewhat or very dissatisfied with the government, a record high since 2001. Similarly, students at Tompkins High School saw this issue as the most important, with 27-percent of them expressing dissatisfaction with the government.

Immigration has also been a heavily debated topic, especially following Trump’s immigration ban from seven predominantly muslim countries. This issue also ties back to terrorism and national security threats as well as civil rights and race relations. Several controversies arose from this executive order, claiming it was an infringement on people’s rights and liberties, while others viewed it as a safety precaution against terrorism. Out of the students, 24.3-percent viewed civil rights and race relations as important, 16.2-percent believe terrorism should be a priority, and only 8.1-percent saw immigration as a problem.

Trump also claimed to increase the military budget and decrease business regulations, in hope of increasing employment and bring jobs back to America. He has also promised to increase spending in favor of building more infrastructure. Overall, 24.3-percent of the student sample view the federal budget as an issue that should be addressed.