In a recent survey of Iowa voters, the Center for Excellence in Polling has reconfirmed the long-held belief that the Hawkeye State is a bellwether for the nation.

Our national polling has shown top concerns coalescing around economic and national security policies, even before the failed Afghanistan exit strategy—and Iowans are in agreement with their fellow countrymen.

70% say they are worried about increases in federal spending. They take issue with unemployment bonuses and expanded welfare benefits that have only served to stall economic recovery. And they rightly blame worker shortages on those same failed policies at twice the rate of those who blame the strawman of low wages.

While they are anxious about new strains of coronavirus, they overwhelmingly oppose further economic and school shutdowns to deal with them. Instead, voters would like to see leaders encourage public health precautions (66%) and they agree that further school shutdowns will be harmful to their communities (59%).

This polling was conducted prior to the Afghanistan story breaking, so it would be worth further researching how sentiment on national security has shifted in the state and whether it has overtaken economic issues. Our prediction is that it has.