Publications on Public Opinion

This section features selected Pew Research Center reports (since 2005) on public opinion. Individual project websites contain more reports related to this topic. In particular, please visit Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, which features public opinion research dating back to the late 1980s, and the Pew Global Attitudes Project, which features international public opinion research from more than 50 countries.

High Hopes
14 Nov 08Barack Obama won only 53% of the vote on Election Day, but he is getting a landslide greeting from the American public with voters giving Obama better grades for his conduct during the campaign than any presidential candidate since 1988.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Post-Election Perspectives
13 Nov 08In remarks at a dinner at the Newseum hosted by the Roper Center, Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut analyzed the voter preferences revealed in exit and post-election polls and their implications for the incoming administration.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Gay Marriage at the Ballot Box
13 Nov 08Prior to Massachusetts becoming the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003, only three states had passed constitutional amendments prohibiting the practice. With amendments in California, Arizona and Florida passing this November, the number of states now stands at 29. A graphic charts the recent history of voter-approved state bans on gay marriage.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

High Marks for Campaign, High Bar for Obama
13 Nov 08A week after the election, voters are feeling good about themselves, the presidential campaign and Barack Obama. Looking ahead, they have high expectations for the Obama administration, with two-thirds predicting that he will have a successful first term.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Doubts Grow About McCain's Judgment, Age and Campaign
Obama's Lead Widens: 52%-38%
21 Oct 08Obama is inspiring more confidence on several key issues, including Iraq and terrorism, than he did before the debates, and his margin over McCain as the candidate best able to improve economic conditions has grown.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Poll Power
17 Oct 08Though by no means a perfect instrument, polls make it possible for more opinions, held by a broader and more representative range of citizens, to be known to the government and thus, potentially, heeded.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign Seen As Increasingly Negative
McCain Ads Seen as Less Truthful
16 Oct 08The campaign received more media coverage than the financial crisis for the first time in a month, but nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) list either economic conditions or the stock market drop as the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Who Knows News? What You Read or View Matters, but Not Your Politics
15 Oct 08Where you turn for news may say a lot about how much you actually know. So who scores higher on a political knowledge quiz? Hardball or Hannity & Colmes? Newspapers or network news? Stewart or Colbert?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Worried But Not Panicked About Economy
Obama Clearer than McCain in Addressing Crisis, Holds Sizeable Lead in Matchup
15 Oct 08Americans are concerned about the nation’s economic problems and they register the lowest level of national satisfaction ever measured in a Pew survey. But there is little indication that the nation’s financial crisis has triggered public panic or despair.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Escalating Financial Crisis Grips States
10 Oct 08A week after President Bush signed a $700-billion bailout plan for Wall Street, the financial crisis has deepened in many state capitals with tight credit markets and new, pessimistic budget figures that pose the biggest threat to states' fiscal health in 25 years.
Special to the Pew Research Center

Post-Debate: Palin Still Seen as Unqualified, a Bump for Biden
6 Oct 08Impressions of Sarah Palin have changed little since her debate with Joe Biden according to a special re-interview of voters this weekend, but opinions of Joe Biden rose substantially.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Word about Debate Impressions
4 Oct 08View "word clouds" of voters' impressions of the performances of John McCain and Barack Obama in their first presidential debate based on one-word descriptions from a recent Pew survey.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Bad Rap on the Bailout Bill
1 Oct 08Members who voted against the original House bill are said to be responding to strong opposition to the rescue plan from their constituents, but that’s not what most Americans are saying.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Boosts Leadership Image and Gains Significant Lead Over McCain
Growing Concerns About Palin's Qualifications
1 Oct 08The Illinois senator, helped by the debate, has been able to erase concerns about his ability to lead, to widen his advantage on economic issues and to move to a significant lead in swing states. There has been a broad-based decline in the number of voters who view Palin as qualified to become president.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Small Plurality Backs Bailout Plan
Support Declines as Anger Runs High
30 Sep 08There is little partisan difference in views of the overall plan. Republicans, however, are less concerned about protecting homeowners although they are not particularly worried about excessive government involvement in the nation's financial markets.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

After Busy Week, Views of Both Candidates Improve
High Marks for Obama's Speech
3 Sep 08As attention to the campaign increased substantially last week, the images of both Barack Obama and John McCain improved. Reviews of Obama's acceptance speech were overwhelmingly positive. Among those who could rate it, nearly half (48%) rated the speech excellent and another 36% rated it good.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama's Background Better Known Than His Issue Positions
Biden Pick a Top Campaign Event
27 Aug 08As Obama accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president in Denver, more than six-in-ten Americans say they know a lot or a fair amount about his background, but only about half are familiar with his policies.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

E-Patients: Chronically Ill Seek Health Information Online
26 Aug 08More Americans are making a habit of using the internet to gather health information as broadband adoption increases. But personal motivation is also a powerful factor, as those with chronic diseases are more likely to search for and make decisions about health care online.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Men or Women: Who's the Better Leader?
A Paradox in Public Attitudes
25 Aug 08Americans believe women have the right stuff to be political leaders. When it comes to honesty, intelligence and other traits they value highly in leaders, the public rates women superior to men. But only 6% say women make better political leaders than men. A new Pew survey explores this paradox.
Social & Demographic Trends

Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources
Audience Segments in a Changing News Environment
17 Aug 08For more than a decade, audiences for most traditional news sources have steadily declined and the number of people getting news online has surged. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press’ biannual media study also finds that a growing number of news consumers mix both old and new sources. The report presents a typology that breaks Americans into four groups: Integrators, Net-Newsers, Traditionalists and the Disengaged.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

China Olympics Earn American Attention, Approval
Scant Attention to War in Georgia
14 Aug 08Most say they are watching at least some of the Olympic coverage and the share saying it was a good decision to hold the games in China has risen 11 points to a 52% majority. Americans also remain optimistic that by the end of the games, the U.S. will have won more gold medals than any other country.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Presidential Race Draws Even
GOP Base Getting Behind McCain
13 Aug 08With fewer than two weeks to go before the start of the presidential nominating conventions, McCain has solidified his support among Republicans and white evangelicals, especially in the South, while Obama lags in attracting Clinton supporters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Fatigue - 48% Hearing Too Much About Him
McCain's Ads Seen As Negative, Obama's as Positive
6 Aug 08While John McCain closed the gap in campaign news coverage last week, Barack Obama still enjoyed much more visibility in the eye of the public. But 48% say they've heard too much about the Democratic nominee and a plurality say they've heard too little about his opponent.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

An Enthusiastic China Welcomes the Olympics
5 Aug 08Publics around the world are showing signs of apprehension about China's growing economic power, its role in foreign affairs and the safety of the products it exports; but the Chinese people are confident that the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will change the way their country is viewed.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Obama's Trip a Top Campaign Event for Public
42% Say Campaign Coverage Biased in Favor of Obama
31 Jul 08Despite a high level of public attention to the Democratic candidate's weeklong tour abroad, most said they learned very little of his foreign policy views as a result of the trip.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Inflation Staggers Public but Economy Still Seen As Fixable
31 Jul 08Beyond widespread anxiety about energy costs, a growing number of Americans say it is difficult for them to afford food. Yet most are confident that even in an era of global economic interdependence the federal government is capable of fixing the economy
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

America's Four Middle Classes
29 Jul 08The Top of the Class, the Satisfied Middle, the Anxious Middle and the Struggling Middle - what unites and divides the majority of Americans who call themselves "middle class."
Social & Demographic Trends

Democrats Highly Critical of New Yorker Cover, Republicans Say It Was Okay
Public Closely Tracking Business News
24 Jul 08Fully four-in-ten Americans heard a lot about a satirical cartoon on the cover of the New Yorker magazine. A majority of those who saw it found it offensive (54%) and few found it funny (27%).
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Should Women Worry Obama?
17 Jul 08Obama is doing better among young and independent women than either of the last two Democratic nominees, but many older Democratic women remain undecided.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obamamania Abroad: The Candidate Can Expect a Warm Welcome in Europe, Not So in the Middle East
16 Jul 08By all accounts, Barack Obama will be enthusiastically greeted when he travels to Europe. But his trip will take him into less friendly territory in the Middle East where Muslims remain skeptical about the future of U.S. foreign policy, regardless of who is elected in November.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Belief that Obama is Muslim is Durable, Bipartisan – but Most Likely to Sway Democratic Votes
15 Jul 08The New Yorker magazine’s controversial cover has renewed focus on persistent public misperceptions of Sen. Barack Obama’s faith.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Likely Rise In Voter Turnout Bodes Well For Democrats
Obama's Support is More Committed than McCain's but Many Remain Undecided
10 Jul 08Even with a partisan enthusiasm gap, voter interest is already as high as in November of recent elections, two trends that may significantly alter the composition of the eventual electorate in the Democrats' favor. The proportion of swing voters is also up compared with four years ago. Nearly half of independents (47%) are undecided or may change their minds, up from 28% in June 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

McCain's Interest Gap
9 Jul 08While Obama and McCain received similar levels of media coverage, Obama remained by far the most visible candidate. Only 11% of Americans cited McCain as the candidate they had heard the most about, while more than seven-in-ten (71%) named Obama.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

For Public, Oil Prices and Economic News Overshadow Campaign
McCain Remains Much Less Visible than Obama
2 Jul 08Last week marked the largest partisan gap in campaign interest since the start of the presidential race in early 2007. Democrats were almost twice as likely as Republicans to say they followed the campaign very closely (52% vs. 28%).
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

U.S. Traveler Advisory: Where in the World Is the Welcome Mat Still Out?
2 Jul 08The United States has lost much of its global popularity in recent years. Yet trip planners will be glad to know that recent surveys show that the countries that Americans are most likely to visit are, for the most part, countries that like Americans.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Gas Prices Pump Up Support for Drilling
Support for Conservation and Environmental Protection Declines, More Favor Drilling in ANWR
1 Jul 08Americans are giving higher priority to more energy exploration, rather than more conservation; concern about the environment fades as support for ANWR drilling rises.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation
25 Jun 08Today, in their early 40s to early 60s, boomers are more prosperous than any other age group. Their tastes still rule the world. Yet this privileged and pampered generation is the most downbeat in America.
Social & Demographic Trends

Assessing Globalization: Benefits and Drawbacks of Trade and Integration
24 Jun 08Enthusiasm for economic globalization has waned considerably over the last few years in many wealthy nations, but survey research suggests that most average citizens around the world embrace the idea of a globalized world, albeit cautiously.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Religion in America: Non-Dogmatic, Diverse and Politically Relevant
Religious Beliefs & Practices / Social & Political Views: Report 2
23 Jun 08The second major report on the U.S. religious landscape finds that most Americans do not believe their religion is the only way to salvation. This openness to other religious viewpoints is in line with the nation's great diversity of affiliation, belief and practice as documented in a survey of more than 35,000 Americans.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

More Hear Negative News About Michelle Obama Than Cindy McCain
Coverage of the Candidates’ Wives
18 Jun 08While opinions about both potential First Ladies are mostly positive, Mrs. Obama has emerged as a more high profile and controversial spouse than Mrs. McCain.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

More See America's Loss Of Global Respect As Major Problem
A majority of Republicans now say U.S. is less respected, up 12 points since August 2006
16 Jun 08Seven-in-ten Americans -- now including a majority of Republicans -- see the loss of international respect for the nation as a major problem.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Politics Goes Viral Online
15 Jun 08Already in this campaign season, more Americans -- 46% -- have gone online to get political news and campaign information than in all of 2004.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Gay Marriage Is Back On The Radar For Republicans, Evangelicals
But Overall Opposition to Gay Marriage is Less Than in 2004
12 Jun 08Overall opposition to same-sex marriages has declined somewhat but the issue has regained importance among some conservative groups.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Most Americans See a Black Nominee as Important for Country
Partisan and Racial Divisions Over Significance of Obama's Win
11 Jun 08A solid majority say the nomination of an African American for president is important to the country, but racial and partisan divisions exist on the significance of Obama’s historical achievement.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Backers Cool to Clinton as Running Mate
But "Dream Ticket" Draws Support From Key Democratic Blocs
4 Jun 08While a majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters (53%) favor a so-called "Dream Ticket," fully 54% of Obama supporters do not want Clinton chosen as his running mate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democratic Party's Favorables Rise, Congress Still Unpopular
Conservatives' Ratings of GOP Slip
3 Jun 08While opinion of the Republican Party (39% favorable) remains at a historic low, favorable views of the Democratic Party have risen to 57%. Attitudes toward the Democratic-led Congress, however, remain very negative.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

In Tight General Election, McCain's Negatives Mostly Political, Obama's More Personal
Clinton Backers Cool to Obama - White Female Support in Question
29 May 08While Obama has opened up a wide lead in the Democratic primary, he now runs about even against McCain. The tightening general election shows some sullying of Obama's personal image over the past three months, which is in some measure a negative reaction from frustrated Clinton supporters. McCain's image has also become more negative since February, however, unlike Obama, those who disapprove cite his political beliefs.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Middle Class Blues: Pricey Neighborhoods, High Stress
29 May 08When it comes to anxiety about family finances, an old truism applies: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Or, more precisely, on where your house or apartment sits.
Social & Demographic Trends

Cable's Constant Campaign Coverage Out of Sync With Public News Interest
22 May 08While much of the public focused on international events, cable news focused on the campaign almost to the exclusion of other top news stories. Also, though well covered, awareness of John Edwards' endorsement of Obama was relatively low.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

In the Public Eye: Who's Up (Al Gore) And Who's Down (Oprah Winfrey)
14 May 08Since endorsing Obama, the talk show host's popularity has fallen among Republicans while the former vice president now rivals Obama and tops Clinton in favorability.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Federal Government's Favorables Fall Even Farther
14 May 08Americans continue to hold their local and state governments in fairly high esteem, but positive views of the federal government are at their lowest point in at least a decade.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Handguns: Public Rejects a Ban -- but Supports Controls
14 May 08Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) oppose a ban on handgun sales, a view shared by 59% of independents and just half of Democrats.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Widening Gap
9 May 08While Barack Obama's appeal to the young coincides with their increasing Democratic alignment, older voters do not show the greater allegiance to the GOP that might explain their relative reluctance to support him.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Race Factor Redux
8 May 08While the outcome of the North Carolina primary fit into a racial pattern observed in earlier primaries this year, Clinton’s showing in Indiana was less strong than would have been expected.
Pew Research Center

An Increase in GOP Doubt About Global Warming Deepens Partisan Divide
8 May 08The proportion of Americans who say that the earth is getting warmer has decreased modestly since January 2007, mostly because of a decline among Republicans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hard Hats See Hard Times
Rising Worries About the Job Market
7 May 08While the latest statistics reported fewer job losses than analysts expected, the public is expressing increasing concern about job availability; but unlike in the 1992 downturn, such worries are concentrated in the lower portions of the income spectrum.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Gen Dems: The Party's Advantage Among Young Voters Widens
28 Apr 08Trends in the opinions of America's youngest voters are often a barometer of shifting political winds. And that appears to be the case in 2008. Use the interactive tool to track generational differences in party affiliation over time.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

More Americans View Campaign As Too Negative
Obama's "Bitter" Comment Registers Widely
24 Apr 08Barack Obama's 'bitter' comment registered widely but just 29% of Americans say they paid very close attention to news about the presidential campaign last week, the lowest percentage recorded since December 2007.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Writing, Technology and Teens
24 Apr 08Most teenagers spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they don’t regard most of the material they create electronically as real writing. Does e-communication help – or hurt – students’ writing skills?
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Less News is Good News for McCain
49% Say Network News Anchors Are All About the Same
17 Apr 08While McCain has been consistently less visible to the public, far more Americans say the news they have been hearing about him is generally positive than say the same about coverage of Obama or Clinton.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

No Clear Advantage
17 Apr 08Electability is an issue, and one that both Obama and Clinton are likely to use to woo the superdelegates. But our polling suggests that neither candidate has a demonstrable advantage to tout.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

That's What I Like About Me
7 Apr 08Obama's high favorable ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. Clinton's image, in contrast, is driven by opinions about her own qualities.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Controversy Heavily Covered but Obama Maintains Visibility Edge
Many Say Economic Reporting Too Negative
3 Apr 08While her Bosnia flap made Clinton the newsmaker of the week, she continues to lag behind Obama in terms of public visibility. Both candidates, despite recent negative news, have seen little change in their favorability.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

On Eve Of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans
Pontiff's Outreach to Other Religions Draws Mixed Reactions
3 Apr 08A new poll finds 30% of Americans know little about the pontiff. The pope's efforts to reach out to other faiths receive mixed reviews overall but strong support among observant Catholics.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Dismal Views of the National Economy : It's the Inflation, Stupid
27 Mar 08Public satisfaction with the state of the nation is about as low as it has been in 20 years of Pew polling; but optimism about the future rises somewhat.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Weathers the Wright Storm, Clinton Faces Credibility Problem
27 Mar 08Obama's personal image remains more favorable than Clinton's - and he retains a 10-point advantage over her in the race for the nomination. But certain beliefs and attitudes among older, white, working-class Democrats are associated with his lower levels of support among this group.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign
27 Mar 08Fully 85% of Americans say they heard about Obama's speech, and 70% have heard more about him in the last week than any other candidate. The impact of events on Obama's image appears to be mixed.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Fewer Voters Identify as Republicans
Democrats Now Have the Advantage in "Swing" States
20 Mar 08The balance of party identification in the U.S. electorate now favors the Democratic Party by a decidedly larger margin than in either of the two previous presidential election cycles including in some key swing states.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Political Water Cooler Conversation Features Ferraro, Rev. Wright
Spitzer Scandal: Heavy Coverage, Moderate Interest
20 Mar 08Not only are Americans closely following news about Obama's preacher and Clinton surrogates, but an overwhelming majority (84%) are talking about the campaign with family and friends.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Attitudes Toward the War in Iraq: 2003-2008
19 Mar 08Ratings of how things are going in Iraq have improved over the past year, but a clear majority now say the initial decision to go to war was wrong.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Still Faults Government Care for Troops
19 Mar 08A year after problems at Walter Reed and other military hospitals made major news, Americans see no improvement in treatment of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Financial Woes Overshadow All Other Concerns For Journalists
17 Mar 08A new survey of national and local reporters, producers, editors and executives finds soaring economic woes eclipse traditional worries about quality of coverage and credibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Rumors and Red Phones Capture The Public's Political Attention
38% Have Heard a Lot about "Obama's a Muslim" Rumors
13 Mar 08Americans are paying close attention to all aspects of the election this year, but the most widely recognized item involves rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Awareness of Iraq War Fatalities Plummets
Political Knowledge Update
12 Mar 08Public awareness of the number of American military killed in Iraq has declined sharply since last August along with news coverage of the war. A new Pew News IQ survey provides an updated look at the public's knowledge of political and world affairs.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Sees Fair Fight
6 Mar 08Every week since November, 2007, the most covered news story has been the election, and the public has taken notice. Almost half of Americans (47%) listed it as the single news story they were following more closely than any other, up from 10% last November.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mixed Signals on Energy Policy
Public Less Enthusiastic About Ethanol Research, Divided on ANWR and Nuclear, But Highly Supportive of Tighter Auto Fuel Standards
6 Mar 08The public remains conflicted in its approach toward energy and the environment, but 55% favor more conservation and regulation compared with 35% who support expanded exploration. Fully 90% favor tighter auto fuel standards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Getting to Know Them
3 Mar 08If they turn out to be their party's nominees, both Barack Obama and John McCain need to educate voters about themselves in some pretty basic, and challenging, ways.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Has the Lead, but Potential Problems Too
Public's Attitudes Toward Progress in Iraq Turn More Favorable
28 Feb 08Obama has moved out to a broad-based advantage over Clinton in the national Democratic primary contest. Public attitudes about the war in Iraq have turned more positive, a favorable development for McCain.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

NY Times' McCain Story Draws Public Interest - And Disapproval
Beef Recall and Failing Satellite Attract Attention
27 Feb 08By a nearly two-to-one margin those familiar with the Times' article on the Arizona senator's ties to a lobbyist think the paper was wrong to publish it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign Seen as Less Negative than 2004 Contest
Gore, Edwards Endorsements Would Have Modest Impact
21 Feb 08The public remains highly engaged in the election, with no increase in campaign fatigue. Also, with the Democratic race still in question, a Gore endorsement would be more influential than one from Edwards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Economic Discontent Deepens As Inflation Concerns Rise
Growing Rich-Poor Divide in Affording Necessities
14 Feb 08Public views of the U.S. economy, already quite negative, have plummeted since January. Just 17% currently rate the nation's economy as excellent or good, down from 26% last month.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Inspiring but Inexperienced, Clinton Prepared to Lead but "Hard to Like"
13 Feb 08While Democrats and independents who lean Democratic believe Clinton is prepared to lead, Obama has a clear lead on three positive campaign themes: inspiration, change, and honesty.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Young Voters in the 2008 Presidential Primaries
11 Feb 08Beyond the vote, the exit polls point to interesting differences -- and similarities -- between younger and older Democratic voters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Does McCain Need Evangelical Voters?
Clinton Faces Challenge with Black Protestants; Obama Not Connecting With Jews
8 Feb 08Sizeable numbers of white evangelical Protestants are already part of McCain’s coalition despite opposition from some religious conservatives. On the Democratic side, Clinton will need to mobilize black Protestants while Obama has not connected with Jewish voters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Patterns of Distinction
8 Feb 08Super Tuesday revealed distinct – and somewhat suprising -- voting patterns across the nation that may shape the course ahead in the closely contested Democratic race.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Super Tuesday Results Suggest Race Card May Be A Joker in the Primary Deck
7 Feb 08Race still plays a role in U.S. politics but it showed up in surprising ways in tallies from Democratic primary elections so far this year.
Pew Research Center

Where Men and Women Differ in Following the News
6 Feb 08A look at the public's news interests over the past year shows continuing differences between women and men in the types of news stories that they follow very closely.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Look at the Numbers
1 Feb 08So far, the 2008 primaries and caucuses have been anything but predictable -- comebacks, fallbacks, not to mention surprised pollsters. But a closer look reveals some common themes that have emerged.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Impact of "Cell-Onlys" on Public Opinion Polls
Ways of Coping with a Growing Population Segment
31 Jan 08A new Pew study finds that on key political measures such as presidential approval, Iraq policy, presidential primary voter preference and party affiliation, respondents reached on cell phones hold attitudes very similar to those reached on landline telephones.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?
Yes, but Not Always, and Not about Everything
31 Jan 08In general the nation's two largest minorities think well of each other, but there are some important differences, a Pew survey finds.
Social & Demographic Trends

Global Warming Falls Still Farther on Republicans' Policy Agenda
Just 12% Call It a "Top Priority"
30 Jan 08Republicans' concerns about climate change have fallen through the floor. Just 12% now call it a top priority for policymakers.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The South Carolina Democratic Primary in Black and White
28 Jan 08This time, the pre-election polls understated Barack Obama's support among both white and black voters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Raising McCain
25 Jan 08Nearly lost in the blizzard of recent poll reports were the findings of a Gallup survey that the current GOP frontrunner, John McCain, might well give each of the two Democratic frontrunners a run for their money.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election-Year Economic Ratings Lowest Since '92
An Even More Partisan Agenda Greets Bush's Final State of the Union
24 Jan 08Republicans and Democrats agree the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress, but they differ more than ever on the importance of other domestic issues -- such as global warming and health insurance for the uninsured.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Interest Surges in Economic News, Especially the Housing Crisis
24 Jan 08Public interest in economic news reached its highest level in five years. Interest was only somewhat greater during the recession of the early 1990s.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Laura Bush's Declining Favorability
Views of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Have Also Grown More Negative
24 Jan 08Laura Bush, once almost universally liked, has seen her favorability ratings slip over the past three years, especially among young adults. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also fallen from favor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mind the Gender Gap
18 Jan 08Does Hilary Clinton have a problem with male voters or does Barack Obama simply appeal more to men?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Race, Ethnicity and Campaign ’08
People…Can We All Get Along?
17 Jan 08Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, but a poll finds that race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel.
Social & Demographic Trends

In GOP Primaries: Three Victors, Three Constituencies
Romney Gains Among Non-Evangelical Conservatives
16 Jan 08The Republican nomination contest is being increasingly shaped by ideology and religion, while the dynamics of the Democratic race are more heavily influenced by class, race and gender.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Only Half of Public Can Name Both Iowa Winners, but Many Complain of Too Much Media Coverage
10 Jan 08In the wake of his Iowa victory, Barack Obama for the first time supplanted Hillary Clinton as the most visible presidential candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Getting It Wrong
10 Jan 08Several factors deserve exploration, but one should not ignore the possibility of the longstanding pattern of pre-election polls overstating support for black candidates among white voters, particularly white voters who are poor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Public’s Not-So-Happy New Year
4 Jan 08Americans begin 2008 with a highly negative view of national conditions and President Bush, and with tempered expectations for the coming year. More Democrats look forward to elections, but Republicans are more optimistic about the year ahead.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

At the Start of the Primary Season, Republicans Run Neck and Neck Nationally, Clinton Clings to Solid Lead
2 Jan 08On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Giuliani's once solid lead in nationwide polls has vanished; religion has become a larger factor for GOP voters as Huckabee has become better known. The Democratic contest remains largely stable nationwide despite close state races.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

View from Pakistan: Before Bhutto's Assassination, Public Opinion Was Increasingly Opposed to Terrorism
28 Dec 07What the former prime minister's death means for the country's stability is highly uncertain, but it is clear that Pakistanis, while supportive of democratic elections and disapproving of militant extremism, remain highly skeptical of the U.S.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Gas Prices, Disasters Top News Interest in 2007
19 Dec 07Man-made and natural disasters dominated the list of the public's top news stories in 2007 but, as was the case in 2006, the rising price of gasoline attracted the largest audience of any news story.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What Was -- and Wasn't -- On the Public's Mind in 2007
19 Dec 07 A compilation of the top 15 stories in which public opinion played a significant role, and the year's most notable "non-barking dogs."
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Digital Footprints: Online Identity Management and Search in the Age of Transparency
16 Dec 07Unlike footprints left in the sand, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out. And internet users have become more aware of information that remains connected to their name online.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Primary Problems: How Exit Pollsters Plan to Cope with a Super-Crowded Election Season
14 Dec 07From holiday distractions to winter weather, the people who will be measuring voters' preferences in primaries and caucuses around the nation will be dealing with unprecedented problems. Here's how they plan to do it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Immigration Debate: Controversy Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill
13 Dec 07The 2007 National Survey of Latinos finds that Hispanics in the U.S. are feeling a range of negative effects from increased public attention and stepped up enforcement measures.
Pew Hispanic Center

How the World Sees China
11 Dec 07Rising anti-Americanism in recent years has given China a decided image advantage over the U.S. But Pew polls suggests that perceptions of China's increasing military and economic power could boost anti-Chinese sentiment in years to come.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

The Courting of Iowa and New Hampshire: Many are Robo-Called but Fewer Are Listening
7 Dec 07Voters, especially Democrats, in two early primary states are being inundated with phone calls, mail and other campaign contacts; but so far there are few signs of campaign fatigue.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

GOP Race Unsettled in Politically Diverse Early States
4 Dec 07Likely Republican voters in the three politically disparate early primary states express less enthusiasm about their field of presidential candidates, and many voice only modest support for their choices.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Pressed in Iowa, But Holds Solid Leads Elsewhere
3 Dec 07Democrats enter the presidential primary campaign upbeat about their candidates and united in their views on major issues. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner in three key early primary states, holding a slim five-point edge in Iowa and more substantial 19-point and 14-point leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina, respectively.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Immigration Takes Center Stage at GOP YouTube Debate
Public Says It Prefers Questions From "Regular" People
29 Nov 07In a format the public says it prefers -- "regular people," not journalists, posing the questions -- immigration emerged as the hot-button issue. Were the candidates' answers in sync with GOP voters' opinions?
Pew Research Center

Public Sees Progress in War Effort
27 Nov 07For the first time in a long time, nearly half of Americans express positive opinions about the situation in Iraq and judgments about the overall situation in Iraq have been improving steadily since the summer.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The View from the Other Side
How Republicans Rate the Democratic Candidates, and Democrats Rate the Republicans
19 Nov 07A survey finds no evidence that a significant number of voters are considering crossing party lines -- or voting strategically for the other party's weakest candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Year Later: Public Dissatisfied With Democratic Leaders, But Still Happy They Won
7 Nov 07Republican leaders share blame for Congress's lack of productivity; Democrats holds 12-point advantage over GOP as better able to manage the federal government.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Year Ahead, Republicans Face Tough Political Terrain
31 Oct 07A year before the 2008 presidential election, most major national opinion trends decidedly favor the Democrats and discontent with the state of the nation is markedly greater than it was four years ago. Also, Republicans have become less likely to say that their party is doing a good job standing up for its traditional positions.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Modest Interest in 2008 Campaign News
Democratic Candidates Better Known, Even Among Republicans
23 Oct 07Many more Republicans are able to recall unprompted the names of Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than can name Rudy Giuliani and other leading GOP candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Economic Pessimism Grows as Nation's Real Estate Slump Hits Wealthy Areas
Republicans Less Upbeat About Economy and Housing Markets
11 Oct 07Public assessments of the nation's economy have fallen to a two-year low. Faced with a steady stream of negative news about the housing market, Americans are substantially less inclined than they were even a few months ago to say they expect home prices to rise over the next few years.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Thompson Stands with GOP Rank and File during First Debate
The Former Senator Stuck to Traditional -- and Popular -- Positions Among Republican Voters
10 Oct 07In his first appearance on a debate stage with his rivals for the Republican nomination, the former Tennessee senator stuck to very traditional -- and very popular -- positions among his party's voters.
Pew Research Center

The Right-to-Die Debate and the Tenth Anniversary of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act
10 Oct 07Similar measures considered in several other states have failed in the state legislature or at the ballot box, while polls show the country still divided on the issue.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

World Publics Welcome Global Trade -- But Not Immigration
4 Oct 07A 47-nation survey finds broad support for the key tenets of economic globalization, including free trade, multinational corporations and free markets. Yet concerns exist about inequality, threats to traditional culture, threats to the environment and threats posed by immigration.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Public Expresses Mixed Views of Islam, Mormonism
Benedict XVI Viewed Favorably But Faulted on Religious Outreach
25 Sep 07The Muslim and Mormon religions have gained increasing national visibility in recent years. Yet most Americans say they know little or nothing about either religion's practices, and large majorities say that their own religion is very different from Islam and the Mormon religion. At the same time, overall evaluations of Mormons and Muslim Americans are on balance positive.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Political Knowledge Update
Most of the Public Is Familiar with Key Political and Iraq Facts
24 Sep 07Take our updated quiz about prominent people and major events in the news. Then see how you did in comparison with 1,005 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions in a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Voters Assess the '08 Hopefuls: Clinton Seen as 'Tough,' Giuliani Viewed as 'Energetic'
20 Sep 07The public is no more engaged by the presidential campaign than in the spring, but the perceived strengths of some leading candidates are coming into focus.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Petraeus' Proposals Draw Public Approval, But Fail to Lift War Support
Increases in Optimism Are Mostly Limited to Republicans
18 Sep 07A new Pew survey finds most Americans (57%) approve of the general's recommendations for troop withdrawals, but just 16% say Petraeus' statements have made them more optimistic about the war, while 67% say their views were unchanged by the general's report.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What Could Convince Americans to Stay the Course in Iraq?
The Strength of Conflicting Opinions May Shade Public Reactions to the Petraeus Report
5 Sep 07A look at the course of opinions about the Iraq war over the past few years suggests that two crucial but opposing factors in U.S. thinking will likely shape the public's response to the Petraeus report.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Along the Iraq-Vietnam Parallel
A sharp partisan difference in public opinion separates the two war paths
28 Aug 07To many observers the most obvious parallel between the two conflicts is that, after early public support, disillusionment mounted as hostilities dragged on. But while the overall trajectory is similar, an important political difference distinguishes public attitudes toward the two wars.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Study in Contrasts: Clinton and Guiliani
Hillary Scores High with Democrats, Less So with the General Public; Rudy Has Broad Appeal but Weaker GOP Support
23 Aug 07Sen. Hillary Clinton is by far the most popular presidential candidate among her own party's voters, but among the general public, she has one of the lowest favorable ratings of the leading candidates. In sharp contrast, the front-running Republican candidate, Rudy Giuliani, evokes relatively modest enthusiasm from the GOP base, but is as broadly popular with all voters as any candidate in either party.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats Debate in Iowa
20 Aug 07Sunday morning all eight Democratic candidates for president met at Drake University in Iowa. How did their views on issues ranging from Iraq to money in politics match up with public opinion data?
Pew Research Center

Presidential Campaign Isn't Making a Good First Impression
Older Men, Better Educated More Likely to Be Critical
15 Aug 07The 2008 presidential campaign already seems to be wearing out its welcome with many Americans. A 52% majority of the public offers a negative assessment of the early-blooming campaign and just one-in-five has a kind thing to say.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats Address Gay Community
10 Aug 07On Thursday night six Democratic presidential candidates came together for a debate on issues important to the gay community. Candidates took on issues from gay marriage to "don't ask don't tell" and addressed a party whose rank-and-file hold ambivalent positions on some issues of concern to gays.
Pew Research Center

Internet News Audience Highly Critical of News Organizations
Views of Press Values and Performance: 1985-2007
9 Aug 07Americans continue to fault news organizations for a number of perceived failures. Solid majorities criticize the news media for political bias, inaccuracy and failing to acknowledge mistakes. Some of the harshest indictments of the press come from the growing segment that relies on the internet as its main news source.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democratic Candidates Labor to Win Union Support
Union Label
8 Aug 07Seven Democratic candidates met on Soldier Field in Chicago on Tuesday to address a predominantly union audience at a candidate forum sponsored by the AFL-CIO. How did candidate views stack up with public opinion?
Pew Research Center

Republicans Preach to the Base in Sunday Morning Debate
But Views Differ from Those of Political Independents, Democrats
6 Aug 07Less than a week before the Iowa straw poll, the nine Republican presidential candidates squared off in Des Moines. Candidate views generally mirrored those of the Republican rank-and-file, but were often at odds with the opinions of the general public.
Pew Research Center

A Summer of Discontent with Washington
Clinton Widens Lead, Giuliani Slips
2 Aug 07All three branches of the federal government are under fire from the American public. Just 29% approve of President Bush's job performance while the proportion with a favorable view of Congress has declined 12 percentage points since January. Even favorable opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court have fallen, from 72% in January to 57% currently.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hillary Clinton Most Visible Presidential Candidate
Republicans Say Campaign is Being Over-Covered
26 Jul 07Hillary Clinton leads all Democrats with 42% of the public saying they have heard the most about her in the news lately.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Uploading Democracy: Candidates Field YouTube Questions
24 Jul 07Tuesday night's Democratic debate was widely anticipated for its groundbreaking format. Candidates took on a host of issues asked by citizens via YouTube videos; what follows is an analysis of the format and major themes of the debate as compared with public opinion data.
Pew Research Center

Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work
From 1997 to 2007
12 Jul 07In the span of the past decade, full-time work outside the home has lost some of its appeal to mothers. This trend holds for both those who have such jobs and those who don't.
Pew Research Center

Democrats Go Domestic: Analyzing the 6-28 Debate
A Comparison of the Candidates' Views with Those of the Public
29 Jun 07Before a predominantly black audience at Howard University, the eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination focused on issues of special interests to minorities including health care, education, taxes and racial discrimination.
Pew Research Center

Capital Punishment's Constant Constituency: An American Majority
26 Jun 07Beginning with its temporary moratorium on the death penalty 35 years ago this month, the Supreme Court has changed its view of capital punishment more than once. The public, however, has not.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Bloomberg Well Known, But of Limited Appeal for Now
20 Jun 07Michael Bloomberg has created some excitement in the political world about a possible run for the presidency by dropping his Republican affiliation. But a recent nationwide Pew voter survey found that while the New York mayor is relatively well known, his appeal is very modest at this point.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Are Americans out of Sync with Economic Reality?
They're Far More Optimistic then the Experts about the Housing Market but Much More Pessimistic about the Overall Economy
20 Jun 07Americans are far more optimistic than most real estate experts about the outlook for home prices but far more pessimistic than most economists and Wall Street watchers about the overall economic outlook.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

How Serious Is Polling's Cell-Only Problem?
The Landline-less Are Different and Their Numbers Are Growing Fast
20 Jun 07The landline-less are different from regular telephone users in many of their opinions and their numbers are growing fast. Can survey researchers meet this challenge?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What's Missing from National RDD Surveys? The Impact of the Growing Cell-Only Population
20 Jun 07The number of cell-phone-only households has continued to grow -- 12.8% of all households by the end of 2006, according to the National Health Interview Survey. While the noncoverage problem is currently not damaging estimates for the entire population, a study finds evidence that it does create biased estimates on certain variables for young adults, 25% of whom are cell-only.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Being Dad May Be Tougher These Days, but Working Moms are among Their Biggest Fans
13 Jun 07Most people agree that it is harder to be a father now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, yet the verdict is mixed on how well today's dads measure up -- about half of the public says they're doing a worse job when compared with fathers a generation ago. But, a majority (56%) of women say today's dads are handling their fatherly duties as well or better than in the past.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mixed Grades for a Federal Education Law
No Child Left Behind Builds No Consensus Among the Public About Either Its Strong or Weak Points
13 Jun 07As Congress prepares to debate reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, Americans express mixed views about the nation's signature education law. Among those who have heard about the law, 34% say it has made schools better; 26% say it has made them worse; and 32% say it has had no impact.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The 6-5-07 Republican Debate: Comparing Candidate Views with Public Opinion
6 Jun 07Ten candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination for president squared off last night in a debate held in New Hampshire. Here is a run-down of how their views on key issues stacked up against the attitudes of the general public and of self-identified Republicans, Democrats and independents, as measured by recent Pew Research Center surveys.
Pew Research Center

The 6-3-07 Democratic Debate: Comparing Candidate Views with Public Opinion
4 Jun 07Eight candidates for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president squared off Sunday night in New Hampshire. Here is a run-down of how their views on key issues stacked up against the attitudes of the general public and of self-identified Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Pew Research Center

A Six-Day War: Its Aftermath in American Public Opinion
For 40 years, public opinion has consistently favored Israel over the Palestinians
30 May 07For 40 years since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the U.S. public has sympathized more with Israel than with the Palestinians almost regardless of the news of the day, through the making and collapse of peace agreements and attacks and reprisals by all sides.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Baker-Hamilton Redux
The U.S. public remains enthusiastic about the bipartisan proposals
29 May 07Four months after the bipartisan Iraq Study Group proposed a number of new policy options for dealing with the Iraq conflict, these proposals remain broadly popular with the public.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Presidential Politics and Mormon Faith
16 May 07Surveys show strong public misgivings about the religion and some 30% of the public say they are less likely to support a Mormon presidential candidate.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Are Americans Ready to Elect a Female President?
Past Statewide Elections Suggest Gender Is Not an Obstacle -- at Least for Democratic Candidates
9 May 07When evaluating Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2008 prospects, one question remains inescapable: Are American voters ready to pick a female president? A review of exit polls in statewide elections suggests that, at least for Democratic candidates, being a woman is not an obstacle.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Closeness to Troops Boosts Support for War -- but Not By Much
9 May 07Those with close contacts to servicemembers in Iraq or Afghanistan tend to be more supportive of the Iraq war but their differences with those who are not closely connected are relatively modest.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Can Secular Democracy Survive in Turkey?
Turmoil over a Presidential Choice Highlights Turks' Concerns about Religious Influence in Political Life
4 May 07By nominating an observant Muslim for the Turkish presidency, Prime Minister Erdogan inadvertently highlighted deep-rooted tensions about the role of religion in the nation's political life.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Motherhood Today: Tougher Challenges, Less Success
Mom's Biggest Critics are Middle-Aged Women
2 May 07From managing busy schedules to dealing with outside influences, mothers have their hands full these days - and middle-aged women are their sharpest critics. At the same time, fully 70% of the public says it's harder to be a mother today than it was 20 or 30 years ago; somewhat fewer (60%) say the same about being a father.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Surge in Support for Social Safety Net
Sympathy for the Poor and for Government Aid Programs Returns to 1980s Levels
2 May 07Support for government programs to help disadvantaged Americans, as well as sympathy for the plight of the poor, have surged since 1994 and returned to levels last seen in 1990 prior to welfare reform, with gains occurring among virtually every major social, political and demographic group.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign '08: Analysis of Key Voter Groups
Solid Majority Favors Troop Withdrawal, But Both Sides Reject Compromise over Iraq Funding
26 Apr 07Who's most inspiring? Who's most electable? Find out how liberals and conservatives, war supporters and opponents and other segments of the electorate rate the presidential candidates. Also, a solid majority of the public favors troop withdrawal, but both sides reject compromise over Iraq funding.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Blacksburg Tragedy Draws Close Public Attention, but Less Than Columbine Did Eight Years Ago
25 Apr 07Fully 45% of Americans paid very close attention to the Va. Tech shootings but more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) paid very close attention to the Columbine incident in 1999.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Va. Tech Shootings Produce Little Boost for Gun Control
Public Also Divided About Causes of Massacre
23 Apr 07Six-in-ten Americans say it is more important to control gun ownership, while 32% give priority to protecting Americans' right to own guns. But a 55% majority opposes a ban on the sale of handguns.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Most Say Imus's Punishment Was Appropriate
18 Apr 07A new survey finds that Americans generally agree with the punishment radio host Don Imus received for the racist and sexist remarks he made about the Rutgers University's women basketball team. Nonetheless, there are substantial racial differences in views of Imus's punishment, and the media's coverage of the story.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Immigration Divide
Reform is a Potential Wedge Issue for Both Republicans and Democrats
12 Apr 07With his renewed push for a comprehensive immigration bill, President Bush is advancing a potentially powerful political wedge issue, but one with an unlikely twist: Immigration fractures the president's own party at least as much as it divides the opposition.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Iraq Tops News Interest - and Anna Holds Her Own
Despite Media Focus on British Hostages in Iran, War News Draws More Public Attention and Ms. Smith's Autopsy Scores Big
5 Apr 07While the media focused more on British sailors held in Iran and the US attorneys scandal, news from Iraq remains the public's clear priority. The core Anna Nicole Smith audience remains as large as in February, despite far more limited press coverage.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

News Leaks Remain Divisive, but Libby Case Has Little Impact
Unauthorized Disclosures to Media Seen as Motivated More by Personal than Political Reasons
5 Apr 07Attitudes towards news leaks are virtually the same now as in 1986, with the public about evenly split between those who say leaks serve the public interest and those who say they harm it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Who Do You Trust for War News?
The Public Now Puts Little Confidence in the Descriptions of Iraq Provided by Either the Military or the Press
5 Apr 07Four years into the Iraq war, most Americans say they have little or no confidence in the information they receive -- from either the military or the media -- about how things are going on the ground.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The NRA's Image Improves as Support for Gun Control Slips
4 Apr 07Surveys taken before the Virginia Tech shootings showed that Americans had become less disposed to support gun control measures than they were in the years surrounding the Columbine school shootings in 1999.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Giuliani, McCain Lead Among Evangelical Republicans
23% Still Undecided
2 Apr 07The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life debuts its newly redesigned website with an early look at white evangelical Republicans and their candidate preferences for the 2008 presidential campaign. White evangelicals who are Republicans or Republican leaners divide their support between Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Democrats Fail to Impress in First 100 Days
Post-Walter Reed, Government Faulted on Vets' Care, Military Ratings Slip
29 Mar 07As the Democratic-led Congress approaches the 100-day mark, pluralities approve of House Speaker Pelosi's and Senate Majority Leader Reid's leadership. But Democrats get mixed reviews on campaign promises and policies and proposals.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Attitudes Toward Religion and Social Issues: 1987-2007
22 Mar 07As the '08 elections approach, what are the views of Republicans, Democrats and the general public on "social values" issues? And how have they changed over time?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats
22 Mar 07Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies have improved the political landscape for the Democrats as the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Iraq and Vietnam: A Crucial Difference in Opinion
The Military's Prestige Remains High despite Discontent with War
22 Mar 07While public opinion about the war in Iraq has followed a path not unlike that charted during the Vietnam War, one important disparity stands out: attitudes toward the military.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Public Opinion about the War in Iraq, 2003-2007
15 Mar 07On the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the public has turned against the decision to use military force. But views of how the military effort is going, while now decidedly negative, have been more volatile, and Americans have been slow to conclude that U.S. troops should be withdrawn.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Top Journalists Less Widely Admired Than 20 Years Ago
Fragmented Media Diminishes Prominence of Stars
8 Mar 07Only a slim majority can now name the journalist they admire most and the preferences are scattered across the networks, cable news channels, public television and even Comedy Central.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Foreign Policy: The Public Sends a Muddled Message
No Clear Directions for Policymakers
8 Mar 07Opinion surveys find much in the way of public frustration, but little in the way of direction on the international and military front.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Anna Nicole Audience Praises Press Coverage
1 Mar 07Even though most Americans (61%) think Anna Nicole Smith's death has been over-covered, the press gets high marks from that portion of the public (more than a third) who are following the story closely. Two-thirds of this group rate the coverage as good or excellent – better marks than the press receives from the audiences of any of the other top stories of the past week. This is in line with poll findings about previous tabloid stories: their core audiences think the press does a great job of covering them.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Americans and Social Trust: Who, Where and Why
22 Feb 07Just under half of Americans say most people can be trusted, while 50% say you can't be too careful, a new Pew survey finds. Whites are more trusting than blacks or Hispanics. High income folks are more trusting than those with low incomes. The married are more trusting than the unmarried. The old are more trusting than the young. And rural folks are more trusting than their city cousins.
Pew Research Center

War Support Slips, Fewer See Positive Outcome
New Poll Also Finds Growing Pessimism about Deficit, Rich-Poor Gap
15 Feb 07Two-thirds of the public now says that the U.S. military effort in Iraq is not going well, reflecting a sharp increase in the last year. And most say the country is also losing ground in problem areas from the federal budget to corruption to the environment.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

How Reliable Are the Early Presidential Polls?
14 Feb 07As the number of declared presidential candidates grows, followers of early poll readings should bear in mind some caveats. Early frontrunners for the Republican nomination in most of the past seven open contests have gone on to win the nomination, but this year there are two GOP frontrunners instead of one clear leader. On the Democratic side, even when there is a clear frontrunner as there is this year with Sen. Hillary Clinton, the early polls have been less reliable in predicting who will capture the nomination.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Can You Trust What Polls Say about Obama's Electoral Prospects?
Two Important Trends Suggest Americans May Now Be Ready to Elect an African American President
7 Feb 07The strong showing of Democrat Barack Obama in early trial heat polls for the 2008 presidential election raises anew the question of whether the American public is ready to support an African American candidate for president. Recent polling points to two significant shifts on this question.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What Americans Pay For - and How
'Information Age' Bills Keep Piling Up
7 Feb 07Bill-paying is a different experience now than it was a generation ago. A sizable minority of adults pay by click. And a sizable majority pay each month for one or more of the big three Information Age staples that didn't exist or were in their infancy a few decades back -- cell phones, internet service and cable and satellite television.
Pew Research Center

Election 2006 Online
The Internet Is Creating a New Class of Web-Savvy Political Activists
17 Jan 07A new poll finds the number of Americans who got most of their information about the 2006 campaign on the internet doubled from the 2002 mid-term election, and many used the web to become politically involved.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Most Oppose President Bush's New Iraq Plan
But New Poll Finds Surging GOP Support for a Troop Surge
16 Jan 07President Bush's plan to send roughly 21,000 additional troops to Iraq has drawn broad opposition from the American public. If anything, the plan has triggered increased partisan polarization on the debate over what to do in Iraq.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
9 Jan 07A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Most Americans Moderately Upbeat About Family Finances in 2007
4 Jan 07Most Americans are moderately upbeat about their family's financial prospects in the coming year, with 57% expecting some improvement in their financial situation and another 10% expecting a lot of improvement, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Pew Research Center

The Complicated Politics of Free Trade
Unrestricted Trade Makes for Strange Political Bedfellows
4 Jan 07Crafting effective U.S. trade policies in an era of rapid economic globalization is tough. But the politics of free trade are even tougher -- particularly for Democrats, according to a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Few Latinos Now Support the War in Iraq
Hispanics Favor Troop Withdrawals Even More Strongly Than Does the General Public
4 Jan 07Two out of every three Latinos now believe that U.S. troops should be brought home from Iraq as soon as possible and only one in four thinks the U.S. made the right decision in using military force, according to a new survey by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Pew Hispanic Center

What Was -- and Wasn't on the Public's Mind
...And How Opinions Changed During 2006
20 Dec 06Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years -- notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

New UN Chief Heads an Organization That Faces Both Skepticism and Support
Surveys in 15 Countries Find Most Have Favorable Views of the Agency - Though Not in the Middle East
20 Dec 06When Ban Ki-moon of South Korea placed his left hand on the Charter of the United Nations and was sworn in as its eighth Secretary General, he assumed control of an organization viewed with dramatically varying degrees of respect, skepticism and indifference by the countries of the world.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Free Trade Agreements Get a Mixed Review
51% Say U.S. Has Responsibility to "Do Something" in Darfur
19 Dec 06The American public continues to have a mixed opinion about free trade agreements such as NAFTA and the WTO. On balance they are seen as a good thing for the country, but Americans are divided over the impact of free trade agreements on their own personal financial situations.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Luxury or Necessity?
Things We Can't Live Without: The List Has Grown in the Past Decade
14 Dec 06As Americans navigate increasingly crowded lives, the number of things they say they can't live without has multiplied in the past decade, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that asks whether a broad array of everyday consumer products are luxuries or necessities.
Pew Research Center

Public to '08 Contenders - It's Too Early
Favorable Ratings Are Mixed for Pelosi, Reid
14 Dec 06Politicians and political reporters are scrambling to book flights for New Hampshire and other presidential primary states, but the public is far from engaged in the jockeying for 2008.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Baker-Hamilton Report Evokes Modest Public Interest
Growing Number Sees Iraq Becoming 'Another Vietnam'
12 Dec 06The public has grown more negative about the situation in Iraq and President Bush's handling of the war. Half of Americans now believe the war in Iraq will turn out to be another Vietnam, while just a third think that the U.S. will accomplish its goals there.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

As Home Prices Cool Down, Homeowners Temper Their Optimism
6 Dec 06Despite a record drop this past year in the median sales price of existing homes, more than eight-in-ten homeowners expect the value of their homes to go up either "a little" (55%) or "a lot" (26%) in the future. However, these anticipated levels of future gains are not nearly as great as the gains that homeowners say they've experienced in recent years.
Pew Research Center

Civil War: What's in a Name?
To Most of the American Public, the Question May Be Largely Semantic
6 Dec 06A mostly insiders-only debate about whether Iraq is in a state of civil war broke out into the open last week when two major news organizations announced that they would henceforth refer to the conflict as a civil war. According to polling in September by the Pew Research Center, much of the public had already reached that conclusion.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Putin Popularity Score
Increasingly Reviled in the West, Russia's Leader Enjoys Broad Support at Home
6 Dec 06Is Vladimir Putin a new breed of postmodern, post-communist populist or an old-style dictator in democratic clothing? It's a question currently being debated with even more urgency as the investigation widens into the bizarre poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Soviet spy and outspoken critic of the Russian president.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Turkey: Troubled Terrain for Pope Benedict
The Pontiff Visits a Country Where Negative Views of Christians and the West Are on the Rise
27 Nov 06The Pontiff's diplomatic skills may well be tested as he visits a country where negative views of Christians and the West are on the rise.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Religious Groups React to the 2006 Election
Most are Happy with the Democratic Victory but Want the Two Parties to Work Together
27 Nov 06The religious divide in voting that has characterized American politics over the last several elections largely persisted in the 2006 election. But people in most religious groups say they are happy that the Democrats won.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

It's Time for Holiday Shopping. Do You Have Your Budget?
20 Nov 06A majority of Americans say they set a budget limit for their holiday shopping; 56% have already set or plan to set a limit while 41% say they don't use a budget limit for holiday shopping.
Pew Research Center

Seeking Science in Cyberspace
A Pew Internet/Exploratorium project finds wide use of the internet by science seekers
20 Nov 06A Pew Internet/Exploratorium project finds nea