Having soured on lame-duck President Joe Biden, Americans are anticipating the inauguration of his successor—and predecessor—Donald Trump. Whether they're looking forward to the new administration eagerly or with dread depends, but Trump won the election with a higher vote tally than his opponent, so we can assume that more people than not are pulling for him. That doesn't mean the public thinks his path will be easy. Voters foresee success in some areas, with rockier prospects in others.

Many Expect Things They Care About to Improve

"Expectations are highest that Trump will control illegal immigration, which 68% of U.S. adults predict he'll do," Gallup pollsters reported last week. "Smaller majorities believe he will reduce unemployment, keep the country safe from terrorism, improve the economy, keep the country out of war, cut people's taxes or reduce the crime rate."

Specifically, 60 percent think the return of Trump heralds reduced unemployment and improved safety from terrorism, 58 percent expect the economy to improve, 55 percent see the new president keeping the U.S. out of war, 54 percent foresee taxes reduced, and 51 percent anticipate lowered crime rates.

Fortunately for the incoming administration, the areas where Americans expect success correspond pretty closely with the public's priorities. The things people most care about feature highly in the list of those they expect to improve over the next four years.