Katie Simmons
5 key takeaways about populism and the political landscape in Western Europe
People with populist views in Western Europe are more likely than those with mainstream views to distrust traditional institutions. While populist attitudes span the ideological spectrum in Western Europe, populist political parties are relatively unpopular in the region.

In Western Europe, Populist Parties Tap Anti-Establishment Frustration but Have Little Appeal Across Ideological Divide
Regardless of populist sentiments, people in Western Europe tend to favor parties that reflect their own ideological orientation. With regard to policy, too, ideology continues to matter.

In Western Europe, Public Attitudes Toward News Media More Divided by Populist Views Than Left-Right Ideology
Across eight Western European countries, people with populist leanings have more negative attitudes about the news media than do those with non-populist views.

Publics Globally Want Unbiased News Coverage, but Are Divided on Whether Their News Media Deliver
A global median of 75% want their news media to be unbiased when covering political issues, yet many say the news media do a poor job of reporting on political issues fairly.

Transatlantic Dialogues: In Europe and North America, Publics More Supportive Than Experts of Direct Democracy
Surveys of foreign policy experts and the general public reveal a division between these two groups over the role of the people’s voice in governing, as well as on the consequences of Trump’s presidency.

Globally, Broad Support for Representative and Direct Democracy
Across the world, a median of 78% say representative democracy is a good way to govern their country. Yet, pro-democracy views coexist with openness to nondemocratic forms of governance.
Sub-Saharan Africa makes progress against poverty but has long way to go
As the UN looks to adopt new goals for the next 15 years, sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind other developing regions in the areas of poverty, health care and education.
Ukraine 2015: How We Approached Our Sample Design in Light of Insecurity in Eastern Ukraine
The uneasy ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, punctuated by almost daily fighting between separatists and government forces, posed a major challenge to the Pew Research Center as we set about conducting a new public opinion survey in that country this past spring. As always, our first priority was the safety of interviewers and respondents, who can both be at risk when it comes to face-to-face surveys in a conflict zone.
Unrest in the Middle East taking a toll on people’s outlooks
The pervasive conflicts that have gripped the Middle East over recent years have also taken a serious toll on the outlook of people across the region.
When it comes to happiness, money matters
The different direction of economic fortunes since the Great Recession has had a major impact on life satisfaction in countries around the world.