As U.S. Energy Production Grows, Public Policy Views Show Little Change
Survey Report The public is gradually becoming aware of America’s energy boom. Currently, 54% say domestic energy production has been increasing in recent years, up from 48% in September 2013. Meanwhile, the recent slide in gas prices is registering widely: An overwhelming 89% say that that pump prices have fallen in the past month. Despite […]
Perceptions of Job News Trend Upward
For the first time in at least five years, as many Americans say they are hearing good news as bad news about the nation’s job situation.
About Half See CIA Interrogation Methods as Justified
Following the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on post-9/11 CIA interrogation practices, 51% of Americans say these CIA methods were justified, compared with 29% who say they were not.
Few See Quick Cure for Nation’s Political Divisions
Survey Report As 2014 draws to a close, the public is deeply pessimistic about the prospects for healing the nation’s deep political divisions. And most Americans think continued partisan gridlock would wreak significant damage on the country. To start, perceptions of the current level of political division continue at record levels: 81% say the country […]
Immigration Action Gets Mixed Response, But Legal Pathway Still Popular
Survey Report The public is divided over President Obama’s recent executive action that expands the number of undocumented immigrants permitted to stay and work in the U.S. At the same time, Americans continue to broadly support a pathway to legal status for people in this country illegally. About as many disapprove (50%) as approve (46%) […]
Growing Public Support for Gun Rights
Survey Report For the first time in more than two decades of Pew Research Center surveys, there is more support for gun rights than gun control. Currently, 52% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, while 46% say it is more important to control gun ownership. Support for […]
Sharp Racial Divisions in Reactions to Brown, Garner Decisions
Survey Report The public has very different reactions to the recent grand jury decisions in two police-related deaths that have sparked protests in cities across the country. By 50% to 37%, Americans say a grand jury made the right decision not to charge former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael […]
Little Enthusiasm, Familiar Divisions After the GOP’s Big Midterm Victory
Survey Report After a sweeping midterm election victory on Nov. 4, the Republican Party retook full control of Congress. But the public has mixed reactions to the GOP’s big win – much as it did four years ago, after Republicans gained control of the House though not the Senate. The post-election survey by the Pew […]
The Party of Nonvoters
Survey Report With just four days before the midterm elections, the spotlight understandably is focused on the estimated 40% of voting age adults who are expected to show up at the polls next Tuesday. There has been less attention on the much larger share who most probably will not. As in past elections, nonvoters 1 – […]
Fewer Voters Report Getting Robo-Calls, Campaign Ads Still Pervasive
Survey Report Voters are reporting roughly similar levels of contact from political campaigns and groups as four years ago, with one notable exception. The share of voters who say they have received a phone call about the election has fallen 12 points since mid-October 2010, from 59% to 47%. This decline has been driven by […]
As Midterms Near, GOP Leads on Key Issues, Democrats Have a More Positive Image
Survey Report With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, the Republican Party holds significant leads on several major issues. Voters say the GOP could do a better job than the Democrats on the economy, and the Republicans hold double-digit advantages on both terrorism and the budget deficit. However, the Democrats have advantages on […]
Support for U.S. Campaign against ISIS; Doubts about Its Effectiveness, Objectives
The public continues to support the U.S. military campaign against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria. But most Americans say the U.S. military effort against ISIS is not going well.
Ebola Worries Rise, But Most Are ‘Fairly’ Confident in Government, Hospitals to Deal With Disease
Survey Report Public concern about the spread of the Ebola virus in the U.S. has increased since early October. Currently, 41% are worried that they themselves or someone in their family will be exposed to the virus, including 17% who say they are very worried. In a survey two weeks ago, 32% worried about exposure […]
Political Polarization in Action: Insights into the 2014 Election from the American Trends Panel
Survey Report The Pew Research Center has developed a new tool for looking at the 2014 elections – a panel survey that enables us to check in with the same representative group of Americans several times during the course of the campaign. This survey includes far more information about respondents than is found in a […]
Public Divided Over Whether Secret Service Lapses Signal ‘Broader Problems’
Survey Report Following a White House security breach and reports of other Secret Service problems, roughly equal shares of the public think the recent issues are mainly isolated incidents (42%) as think they are signs of broader problems with the agency (43%). The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Oct. 2-5 among […]
Most Are Confident in Government’s Ability to Prevent Major Ebola Outbreak in U.S.
Survey Report As the Ebola outbreak in Africa continues, and two patients receive treatment in the U.S., most Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence in the government’s ability to prevent a major outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. In addition, relatively few are concerned that they or a family member will be […]
From ISIS to Unemployment: What Do Americans Know?
The latest Pew Research Center News IQ quiz measures the public’s awareness of key facts in the news: from questions about conflicts around the world to the current minimum wage and the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Neither Party Gets Good Marks from Its Base for Handling Illegal Immigration
Survey Report As the current session of Congress comes to a close without significant action to address illegal immigration, neither Republicans nor Democrats are especially happy with the way their respective parties have dealt with the issue. Just 37% of Republicans and Republican leaners think the GOP is doing a good job representing their views […]
Teaching the Children: Sharp Ideological Differences, Some Common Ground
People with consistently conservative political values are particularly likely to say it is important to teach children religious faith, while those with consistently liberal values stand out for the priority they give to teaching tolerance.
Bipartisan Support for Obama’s Military Campaign Against ISIS
In a rare display of bipartisanship, majorities of both Republicans (64%) and Democrats (60%) approve of President Obama’s plan for a military campaign against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria.
