A Wider Ideological Gap Between More and Less Educated Adults
Two years ago, Pew Research Center found that Republicans and Democrats were more divided along ideological lines than at any point in the previous two decades. But growing ideological distance is not confined to partisanship. There are also growing ideological divisions along educational and generational lines.
Campaign Exposes Fissures Over Issues, Values and How Life Has Changed in the U.S.
The 2016 presidential campaign has exposed deep disagreements between – and within – the two parties on a range of major policy issues.
Garland Nomination to Supreme Court Gets Positive Reception From Public
Although Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court faces an uncertain fate in the Senate, more Americans say they favor (46%) than oppose (30%) Garland’s confirmation to the high court. About a quarter (24%) offer no opinion.
Majority of Public Wants Senate to Act on Obama’s Court Nominee
Survey Report In the high-stakes battle over replacing Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, a majority of Americans (56%) say the Senate should hold hearings and vote on President Obama’s choice to fill the vacancy. About four-in-ten (38%) say the Senate should not hold hearings until the next president selects a court nominee. Most […]
More Support for Justice Department Than for Apple in Dispute Over Unlocking iPhone
As the standoff between the Department of Justice and Apple Inc. continues over an iPhone used by one of the suspects in the San Bernardino terrorist attacks, 51% say Apple should unlock the iPhone to assist the ongoing FBI investigation.
2012 Republican Primary Voters: More Conservative Than GOP General Election Voters
Survey Report Next week, Republican voters will begin the process of selecting their party’s 2016 presidential nominee. One of the major questions will be which GOP voters turn out, and which stay home. A person’s past voting history can be a powerful predictor of future turnout. A new analysis of the Republican electorate in 2012, […]
Budget Deficit Slips as Public Priority
Survey Report As Barack Obama begins his final year in office, the goal of reducing the budget deficit, which the public once ranked among the most pressing objectives for his administration, has continued its recent decline in perceived importance. Overall, 56% say that reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority for the president […]
Voters Skeptical That 2016 Candidates Would Make Good Presidents
A year before the next president takes office, voters are skeptical that any of the leading 2016 candidates would make a good president.
Congress’ productivity improves somewhat in 2015
Congress passed 113 laws, 87 of them substantive, in 2015, making it the most productive first session since 2009
As Election Year Nears, Public Sees Mixed Economic Picture
Survey Report The public’s views of the nation’s economy have shown little change throughout 2015. But Americans are less optimistic about how well the economy will fare over the next year than they were last January. Currently, 45% rate economic conditions as only fair, while 27% view them as excellent or good, and about the […]
Americans’ views of Fed depend on their politics
Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, were more likely to view the institution unfavorably.
Views of Government’s Handling of Terrorism Fall to Post-9/11 Low
Survey Report Following the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., the public’s concerns about terrorism have surged and positive ratings of the government’s handling of terrorism have plummeted. But other attitudes relating to terrorism and security, as well as perceptions of whether Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence, have […]
5 facts about Republicans and national security
When GOP presidential candidates meet in Las Vegas tonight for their sixth debate, terrorism, foreign policy and national security are expected to be major topics.
Debates Help Fuel Strong Interest in 2016 Campaign
Survey Report As candidates in both parties prepare for the next round of presidential debates, a new national survey finds that the public is highly engaged by the 2016 campaign. Fully 74% of Americans say they have given a lot or some thought to the candidates, higher than the shares saying this at comparable points […]
Patriotic, honest and selfish: How Americans describe Americans
Americans pull no punches when assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their fellow citizens.
As more money flows into campaigns, Americans worry about its influence
There’s more money in the political system than at any time since the reforms of the 1970s, a trend that concerns most Americans regardless of party or ideology.
Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government
A year ahead of the presidential election, the American public is deeply cynical about government, politics and the nation’s elected leaders in a way that has become quite familiar. Currently, just 19% say they can trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the past half-century. Only 20% […]
On Immigration Policy, Wider Partisan Divide Over Border Fence Than Path to Legal Status
Survey Report As immigration emerges as a key issue in the presidential campaign, there is little common ground between Republicans and Democrats in views of several immigration policy proposals. But partisan disagreements are much more pronounced on some issues than others. Overall, the public continues to be divided over building a fence along the entire […]
Contrasting Partisan Perspectives on Campaign 2016
Survey Report With four months to go before the first presidential nomination contests, Republican and Democratic voters have sharply different perspectives on their parties’ campaigns – from the qualities they value in candidates to the assessments of their presidential fields and the issues they prioritize. Since March, the share of all registered voters who say […]
Mixed Views of Initial U.S. Response to Europe’s Migrant Crisis
Survey Report The public has mixed reactions to the U.S. response to the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving in Europe in recent weeks. By a narrow 51%-45% margin, more approve than disapprove of the U.S. decision to increase the number of refugees it accepts to help deal with this situation. When asked […]
