Election, Tragedies Dominate 2012 News
The public’s news interests were very much focused on domestic developments this year, with the election outcome, last week’s horrific school shooting and Hurricane Sandy leading the list of the top stories of 2012.
Public Attitudes toward Gun Control
Public opinion on previous mass shootings has been divided and unchanged.
U.S.-China Economic Relations in the Wake of the U.S. Election
The U.S. public wants Washington to ratchet up the pressure on Beijing, but history suggests that there are geo-political constraints to doing so.
Anti-Americanism Down in Europe, but a Values Gap Persists
Europeans generally reacted to President Obama’s re-election with a mixture of excitement and relief, just as they did four years ago.
Obama’s Re-election Win Sobered by Unmet Global Expectations
Much of the world cheered the November 6 re-election of U.S. president Barack Obama. But the president’s honeymoon may be short lived.
The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ and Public Opinion
Just as the White House and Congress faced a deadline for an agreement on raising the debt ceiling in 2011, they now must reach a deal to avoid a “fiscal cliff” before year-end. And, they have to do it against the backdrop of a public that’s divided on how to reduce the deficit.
Misreading the 2012 Election
Postelection talk of “lessons learned” is often exaggerated and misleading, and so it is in 2012, writes Pew Research President Andrew Kohut.
American, Chinese Publics Increasingly Wary of the Other
As economic and geopolitical competition grows between the U.S. and China, Americans say they want to get tougher with China on economic issues and the Chinese hold a more negative view of relations with the U.S.
The Whole World is Watching
When Americans elect a president they are also effectively electing the leader of the world. So voters’ views on Libya, Iran, the Arab Spring and China will shape the conduct of international relations for years to come. This year’s presidential election may not turn on foreign policy, but the world certainly has a stake in the outcome.
Social Media Debate Sentiment Less Critical of Obama than Polls and Press Are
Social media came to a much different initial verdict about the first presidential debate than did the early polls and the conventional press, according to an analysis of the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and blogs by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.
