Public Divided Over Afghan Troop Requests, But Still Sees Rationale for War
As Obama weighs difficult choices in Afghanistan, the public also appears to be finding it difficult to judge the merits of different options for expanding, maintaining or contracting the U.S. effort on that front.
Searching For Clues in the Global Warming Puzzle
Why do fewer Americans believe the earth is warming? A range of possibilities, including a sour economy and, perhaps, a cooler than normal summer in parts of the U.S., may provide an explanation.
The States of Marriage and Divorce
Marriage, divorce and remarriage rates vary significantly among states as do average education and income levels. Analysis of new Census data reveals some interesting patterns.
Updated Demographic Profiles of U.S. Hispanics by Country of Origin
Five demographic profiles of Hispanic populations in the U.S. by country of origin — Guatemalan, Colombian, Honduran, Ecuadorian and Peruvian — have been added to the profiles of the five largest Hispanic populations — Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, and Dominican — posted earlier in the year by the Pew Hispanic Center.
But What Do the Polls Show?
Perhaps the best way to think about public opinion and its relationship to politics and policymaking is that the American public is typically short on facts, but often long on judgment.
Obama’s Nobel Prize
News that President Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is another sign of his international appeal, as his election effectively turned around America’s negative image in many countries.
The Harried Life of the Working Mother
A solid majority of Americans (75%) reject the idea that women should return to their traditional roles in society, but many women remain conflicted about the competing roles they play at work and at home.
Hispanics, Health Insurance and Health Care Access
Six-in-ten Hispanic adults living in the United States who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents lack health insurance.
What Divides America?
While conflict over race may be America’s most historical and inflamed division, more Americans currently see divisions between immigrants and native-born Americans, as well as rich-poor divides, as stronger social conflicts.
Obama Addresses More Popular U.N.
Opinion of the United Nations has grown more positive since 2007 in 12 of the 25 nations surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project. And in no country have favorable ratings improved as much as in the United States.
