Conflicting Partisan Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy
The public’s leading long-range foreign policy goals for the United States are focused on security, including economic security. About seven-in-ten (72%) say that taking measures to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks should be a top priority for the country, while about as many (71%) say the same about protecting the jobs of American workers.
More Now Say It’s ‘Stressful’ to Discuss Politics With People They Disagree With
Over the past two years, Americans have become more likely to say it is “stressful and frustrating” to have political conversations with those they disagree with. The change in opinions has come largely among Democrats: 57% now say that talking about politics with people they disagree with is stressful and frustrating, up from 45% two […]
Trump Viewed Less Negatively on Issues, but Most Americans Are Critical of His Conduct
A majority of Americans find little or no common ground with Donald Trump on issues, but the share who say they agree with him on many or all issues has risen since last August.
The Public, the Political System and American Democracy
At a time of growing stress on democracy around the world, Americans generally agree on democratic ideals and values that are important for the United States.
Positive Views of Economy Surge, Driven by Major Shifts Among Republicans
Americans’ views of national economic conditions continue to improve, with the share saying the economy is in good or excellent condition now at its highest point in nearly two decades. The overall rise in positive assessments seen over the last year is driven by the shifting views of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Nearly three-quarters of […]
Party Identification Trends, 1992-2017
Pew Research Center has been tracking the party affiliation of the general public for over 20 years. Click the buttons or scroll down to explore the party ID data for two dozen demographic subgroups, categorized by gender, race, education, generation, and religious affiliation.
Sharing the News in a Polarized Congress
Political divides in the American news landscape do not end with Americans’ preferences for different news sources; rather, they extend to how members of the U.S. Congress communicate with constituents in the digital age.
Political Polarization, 1994-2017
The interactive chart below illustrates the shift in the American public’s political values over the past two decades, using a scale of 10 questions asked together on seven Pew Research Center surveys since 1994.
The Partisan Divide on Political Values Grows Even Wider
Gaps between Republicans and Democrats over racial discrimination, immigration and poverty assistance have widened considerably in recent years.
Public Dissatisfaction With Washington Weighs on the GOP
While the party retains its advantage over the Democrats on handling terrorism, it has lost ground on immigration and foreign policy, and 68% of the public sees the Republican Party as “mostly divided.”
In First Month, Views of Trump Are Already Strongly Felt, Deeply Polarized
Less than a month after Donald Trump took office, the public’s initial impressions of the new president are strongly felt, deeply polarized and far more negative than positive. The latest national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted Feb. 7-12 among 1,503 adults, finds that Trump’s overall job approval is much lower than those of prior […]
A Divided and Pessimistic Electorate
Survey report Beyond their disagreements over specific policy issues, voters who supported President-elect Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton also differed over the seriousness of a wide array of problems facing the nation, from immigration and crime to inequality and racism. And while voters generally said little progress has been made over the last eight years […]
Few Clinton or Trump Supporters Have Close Friends in the Other Camp
In an increasingly contentious presidential campaign, just a quarter of voters who support Donald Trump in the general election say they have a lot or some close friends who are supporters of Hillary Clinton. Even fewer Clinton backers (18%) say they have at least some friends who support Trump.
Partisanship and Political Animosity in 2016
The 2016 campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of intense partisan division and animosity. Partisans’ views of the opposing party are now more negative than at any point in nearly a quarter of a century.
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.
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 […]
Political Polarization in the American Public
Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent history. And these trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life.
Partisan Polarization Surges in Bush, Obama Years
As Americans head to the polls this November, their values and basic beliefs are more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years. Unlike in 1987, when this series of surveys began, the values gap between Republicans and Democrats is now greater than gender, age, race or class divides. […]
