Where the Public Stands on Immigration Reform
Polling has found significant support for both tougher enforcement and the so-called “path to citizenship,” but several factors suggest that a new push for reform could be a difficult one.
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.
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.
Obama’s Approval Ratings Slide: By the Numbers
In April, 62% of the public approved of Barack Obama’s performance as president, but in August, just four months later, 52% approved. Obama’s approval rating has declined across nearly all major demographic and political groups.
Would Americans Welcome Medicare if it Were Being Proposed in 2009?
Much of the opposition to health care reform today is being fueled by anti-government sentiment that did not exist during the mid-1960′s.
Public Supports Targeting Al Qaeda Leaders, Wants Congress in the Loop
Americans generally support allowing the Central Intelligence Agency to assassinate al Qaeda leaders, but opinions are more mixed about whether the CIA should have such a program without first informing Congress.
The Republican Party’s Dilemma
The Sotomayor vote represents the dilemma the GOP faces coming out of its 2008 and 2006 election defeats: how to keep its base happy on the one hand and broaden its appeal to women, Latinos and young people, on the other.
Few See U.S. Health Care as ‘Best in the World’
Most Americans rate the nation’s health care as no better than average when compared with health care in other industrialized countries. Conservative Republicans are most likely to give the U.S. system high marks.
