Publications on Politics and Elections

This section features selected Pew Research Center reports (since 2005) on national and state politics from Pew Research Center projects. Individual project websites contain more reports related to this topic.

For Public, Oil Prices and Economic News Overshadow Campaign
McCain Remains Much Less Visible than Obama
2 Jul 08Last week marked the largest partisan gap in campaign interest since the start of the presidential race in early 2007. Democrats were almost twice as likely as Republicans to say they followed the campaign very closely (52% vs. 28%).
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Summer Rerun: Media Returns to Coverage of Divided Democrats
Hillary and Bill Clinton combined media coverage equaled McCain's total
1 Jul 08While differences between Barack Obama and John McCain over energy policy played a major role, most of the campaign narrative focused on Democrats' efforts to reunite the party.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Spouse and the President Get Their Media Close-ups
24 Jun 08A key narrative in last week's campaign focused not on Barack Obama and John McCain themselves, but on two people whose public roles reflect crucial challenges facing the candidates--Michelle Obama and George Bush.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Gas Prices Dominate the Public's Economic News Agenda
Fewer Following Midwest Floods than in 1993
19 Jun 08As economic news continues to register at an almost record level with the public, no other issue gets close to the level of attention accorded the price of oil and gas. Fully 72% of Americans say it is the economic or fiscal problem they've heard the most about.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Politics Goes Viral Online
15 Jun 08Already in this campaign season, more Americans -- 46% -- have gone online to get political news and campaign information than in all of 2004.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Most Americans See a Black Nominee as Important for Country
Partisan and Racial Divisions Over Significance of Obama's Win
11 Jun 08A solid majority say the nomination of an African American for president is important to the country, but racial and partisan divisions exist on the significance of Obama’s historical achievement.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Question Drives Coverage
Themes around “what does Hillary want” alone accounted for 29% coverage.
10 Jun 08While Obama’s primary win gave him the edge in quantity of coverage, Clinton was the driving force in a media narrative that focused largely on what she would do next.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

States Aim to End the Electoral College
9 Jun 08A movement is bubbling at the state level to ensure that future presidents are the candidates who get the most votes nationwide.
Stateline.org

Many Say Coverage is Biased in Favor of Obama
Primary Wrapup: Even As Obama Controversies Widely Registered
5 Jun 08More of the public heard about controversies related to Obama than other campaign events. Even so, far more Americans believe press coverage has favored him than think it has favored Clinton.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Backers Cool to Clinton as Running Mate
But "Dream Ticket" Draws Support From Key Democratic Blocs
4 Jun 08While a majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters (53%) favor a so-called "Dream Ticket," fully 54% of Obama supporters do not want Clinton chosen as his running mate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democratic Party's Favorables Rise, Congress Still Unpopular
Conservatives' Ratings of GOP Slip
3 Jun 08While opinion of the Republican Party (39% favorable) remains at a historic low, favorable views of the Democratic Party have risen to 57%. Attitudes toward the Democratic-led Congress, however, remain very negative.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Media Pivot to November, Iraq Debate
3 Jun 08Campaign coverage was split time last week between the dramatic Democratic primary endgame and the developing general election debate between McCain and Obama on the war in Iraq.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Iraq Challenge
2 Jun 08Soaring concern about the economy has displaced the Iraq War as the top priority issue among voters. Ambivalent and contradictory public opinions further complicate the role that the conflict will play in the November election.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hispanics in the 2008 Election: Puerto Rico
29 May 08On Sunday, Puerto Rico holds one of the final Democratic primary contests. A new Pew Hispanic Center fact sheet provides key demographic information on eligible voters in Puerto Rico and compares them with eligible Latino voters and all eligible voters in the U.S.
Pew Hispanic Center

Character and the Primaries of 2008
What Were the Media Master Narratives about the Candidates During the Primary Season?
29 May 08A new analysis of media coverage during the first ten weeks of the 2008 primary season finds the dominant personal narratives about Obama and Clinton were almost identical in tone, and were both twice as positive as negative. The coverage of McCain's character was less positive than that of either Democratic candidate.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

In Tight General Election, McCain's Negatives Mostly Political, Obama's More Personal
Clinton Backers Cool to Obama - White Female Support in Question
29 May 08While Obama has opened up a wide lead in the Democratic primary, he now runs about even against McCain. The tightening general election shows some sullying of Obama's personal image over the past three months, which is in some measure a negative reaction from frustrated Clinton supporters. McCain's image has also become more negative since February, however, unlike Obama, those who disapprove cite his political beliefs.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Greater Coverage of McCain, But Public Still Focused on Obama
Most Expect Gas Prices To Reach $5 a Gallon or More
28 May 08Fully half of the public said Obama was the candidate they had heard the most about in the news, while only 8% said the same of McCain despite a significant increase in news coverage of his candidacy.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mac's Back in Media Spotlight
The Arizona senator had his highest level of press coverage since week of Super Tuesday
28 May 08After largely being treated as a bystander to the Democrats' contest, the GOP nominee emerged as a featured player in campaign coverage. But that exposure is not always wanted or positive attention.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Cable's Constant Campaign Coverage Out of Sync With Public News Interest
22 May 08While much of the public focused on international events, cable news focused on the campaign almost to the exclusion of other top news stories. Also, though well covered, awareness of John Edwards' endorsement of Obama was relatively low.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Religion and Progressive Politics in 2008
20 May 08Directors of two progressive religious organizations and a political science professor discuss the origins of the "religious left" movement and how it might influence this year's election.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Oregon: The Vote is in the Mail
19 May 08The state's election officials' biggest concern in this year's May 20 primary was whether voters would remember that the price of a stamp went up a penny on May 12, just as they began mailing back their ballots.
Stateline.org

Public Says Press Should Not Declare Obama the Winner
14 May 08Fully 72% of the public - including comparable percentages of Democrats, Republicans and independents - say that journalists should not be anointing Obama as the Democratic nominee at this stage in the race.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Media Know Who It's "Gonna Be"
Clinton generated her highest level of coverage this year with calls for her to drop out.
13 May 08In a campaign with more twists than a Twilight Zone episode, the media all but officially pronounced Obama the Democratic nominee last week.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Widening Gap
9 May 08While Barack Obama's appeal to the young coincides with their increasing Democratic alignment, older voters do not show the greater allegiance to the GOP that might explain their relative reluctance to support him.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Race Factor Redux
8 May 08While the outcome of the North Carolina primary fit into a racial pattern observed in earlier primaries this year, Clinton’s showing in Indiana was less strong than would have been expected.
Pew Research Center

Will States Fix the 2012 Primary Process?
6 May 08Not a moment too soon, party insiders and state election officials are in informal talks to improve procedures for the next contest for the White House.
Stateline.org

The Wright Stuff: Obama's Pastor Corrals Campaign Coverage
6 May 08Last week, as Obama's controversial minister re-emerged into full public view, the controversy he generated made more news than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Obama's Lead Over Clinton Disappears; Unfavorables Rise for Both Candidates
More Democrats See Unresolved Contest As Problem for Party
1 May 08Barack Obama's slipping support for the Democratic nomination reflects a modest decline in his personal image rather than improved impressions of Hillary Clinton. Both retain advantage over McCain as economy tops public's concerns.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Justices' OK for Indiana's Voter ID May Prompt Other States to Follow Suit
29 Apr 08With bills pending in state legislatures across the country, more states may move to require photo identification for voters in November.
Stateline.org

Democrats Division Unites Media
Post-Pennsylvania Spin Drowns Out McCain
29 Apr 08The week of the Pennsylvania primary ended with the prospect of a longer, tougher contest and with the volatile issue of race again occupying a prominent place in the media narrative.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Gen Dems: The Party's Advantage Among Young Voters Widens
28 Apr 08Trends in the opinions of America's youngest voters are often a barometer of shifting political winds. And that appears to be the case in 2008. Use the interactive tool to track generational differences in party affiliation over time.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama's Catholic Voter Problem?
25 Apr 08Hillary Clinton won the Catholic vote in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary by more than a two-to-one margin, repeating a pattern among religious voters similar to those seen in other states. Does this have implications for the May 6 contests in Indiana and North Carolina?
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

More Americans View Campaign As Too Negative
Obama's "Bitter" Comment Registers Widely
24 Apr 08Barack Obama's 'bitter' comment registered widely but just 29% of Americans say they paid very close attention to news about the presidential campaign last week, the lowest percentage recorded since December 2007.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Less News is Good News for McCain
49% Say Network News Anchors Are All About the Same
17 Apr 08While McCain has been consistently less visible to the public, far more Americans say the news they have been hearing about him is generally positive than say the same about coverage of Obama or Clinton.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

No Clear Advantage
17 Apr 08Electability is an issue, and one that both Obama and Clinton are likely to use to woo the superdelegates. But our polling suggests that neither candidate has a demonstrable advantage to tout.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

McCain Doesn't Get Most Exposure, But Can't Be "Bitter" About Media
15 Apr 08Renewed attention to Iraq benefited the GOP candidate, while Democrats seemed caught up in a game of gaffe ping-pong, with the media eagerly keeping score.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Religious Voters in Pennsylvania
11 Apr 08Connections that Clinton, Obama and McCain make -- or fail to make -- with the state's religious voters could have major consequences on April 22 and November 4.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Campaign News Interest Dips
Awareness of U.S. War Fatalities Rebounds
10 Apr 08With the campaign in a lull, interest, which had consistently surpassed previous presidential contests, is now comparable to the level measured in April 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Punches, Obama Bowls, McCain Reminisces
8 Apr 08Obama attracted the most coverage, McCain's bio tour earned him headlines, but Clinton generated the clearest story line with her "Rocky" reference.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

That's What I Like About Me
7 Apr 08Obama's high favorable ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. Clinton's image, in contrast, is driven by opinions about her own qualities.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Controversy Heavily Covered but Obama Maintains Visibility Edge
Many Say Economic Reporting Too Negative
3 Apr 08While her Bosnia flap made Clinton the newsmaker of the week, she continues to lag behind Obama in terms of public visibility. Both candidates, despite recent negative news, have seen little change in their favorability.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Robo-Calls Now Top Type Of Campaign Outreach
Wealthy Democratic Donors Now Outnumber Wealthy GOP Donors
3 Apr 08About two-in-five voters now say they have received a pre-recorded call about the campaign. Meanwhile, Democrats are far more engaged in campaign activities than are Republcians -- including donating money to a candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton's Turn in Bad News is Big News
Bosnia Gaffe Makes Her Top Newsmaker After a Week of Dominant Obama Coverage
1 Apr 08In recent campaign media narratives, bad news is big news. Hillary Clinton's oft-repeated story about encountering sniper fire in Bosnia made her last week's top newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Talk Show Hosts Agree Obama Speech Was Boffo Theater but Some See the Script as Unconvincing
28 Mar 08The usually fractious fraternity of talking heads agreed on one thing -- Obama's ability to put words together. They were less unanimous about the content.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Obama Weathers the Wright Storm, Clinton Faces Credibility Problem
27 Mar 08Obama's personal image remains more favorable than Clinton's - and he retains a 10-point advantage over her in the race for the nomination. But certain beliefs and attitudes among older, white, working-class Democrats are associated with his lower levels of support among this group.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign
27 Mar 08Fully 85% of Americans say they heard about Obama's speech, and 70% have heard more about him in the last week than any other candidate. The impact of events on Obama's image appears to be mixed.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Political Water Cooler Conversation Features Ferraro, Rev. Wright
Spitzer Scandal: Heavy Coverage, Moderate Interest
20 Mar 08Not only are Americans closely following news about Obama's preacher and Clinton surrogates, but an overwhelming majority (84%) are talking about the campaign with family and friends.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Racial Tensions Roil Democrats' Media Narrative
But 'Client 9' Dominated Front Page Coverage
18 Mar 08Maybe the good news for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last week was that the problems of another Democrat -- Eliot Spitzer -- generated almost as much media attention as they did.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

What Foreign Policy Agenda?
14 Mar 08Presidential challengers -- and the ultimate winner -- will face a public that is disillusioned, downbeat and partisan about foreign affairs but far from clear about what it wants done.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tracking the Race Factor
14 Mar 08This week's primaries show that, results in Wisconsin aside, pre-primary polls may either over- or underestimate support for Obama depending on state racial demographics.
Pew Research Center

Rumors and Red Phones Capture The Public's Political Attention
38% Have Heard a Lot about "Obama's a Muslim" Rumors
13 Mar 08Americans are paying close attention to all aspects of the election this year, but the most widely recognized item involves rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Presidential Calendar Boosts '08 Govs' Races
12 Mar 08Voters in the Tar Heel and Hoosier states will be the first to consider gubernatorial contenders at the same time they make their presidential preferences.
Stateline.org

Clinton Gets Media to Turn Back the Clock
Even in a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama.
11 Mar 08In a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama’s toughness.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Hispanics Give Clinton Crucial Wins
7 Mar 08Latino voters lopsided support for Hillary Clinton more than accounted for her margin of victory in Texas, California and New Mexico.
Pew Hispanic Center

Voting Religiously
7 Mar 08Pew Forum's John Green discusses the role that religious and unaffiliated voters played on March 4 and could play in coming Democratic primaries and whether false rumors about Obama’s faith could hurt his chances.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Public Sees Fair Fight
6 Mar 08Every week since November, 2007, the most covered news story has been the election, and the public has taken notice. Almost half of Americans (47%) listed it as the single news story they were following more closely than any other, up from 10% last November.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Combative Clinton Gets Media to Cover Itself
When Reporters Weren't Vetting Obama, They Were Questioning Their Own Treatment of Him
4 Mar 08
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Getting to Know Them
3 Mar 08If they turn out to be their party's nominees, both Barack Obama and John McCain need to educate voters about themselves in some pretty basic, and challenging, ways.
Pew Research Center

Obama Has the Lead, but Potential Problems Too
Public's Attitudes Toward Progress in Iraq Turn More Favorable
28 Feb 08Obama has moved out to a broad-based advantage over Clinton in the national Democratic primary contest. Public attitudes about the war in Iraq have turned more positive, a favorable development for McCain.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

NY Times' McCain Story Draws Public Interest - And Disapproval
Beef Recall and Failing Satellite Attract Attention
27 Feb 08By a nearly two-to-one margin those familiar with the Times' article on the Arizona senator's ties to a lobbyist think the paper was wrong to publish it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats Dominate Media on Single Theme: Is Clinton Done?
Controversial New York Times Story Drives Almost All McCain Coverage
26 Feb 08While Obama's apparent frontrunner status claimed most coverage early in the week, the controversial New York Times story put McCain back in the news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Hispanic Vote in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries
21 Feb 08As the Democratic nomination contest heads for a showdown in Texas on March 4, Latinos may be a pivotal constituency in a state where they make up a quarter of the electorate.
Pew Hispanic Center

Campaign Seen as Less Negative than 2004 Contest
Gore, Edwards Endorsements Would Have Modest Impact
21 Feb 08The public remains highly engaged in the election, with no increase in campaign fatigue. Also, with the Democratic race still in question, a Gore endorsement would be more influential than one from Edwards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama and Clinton Tie for Coverage, But Barack Wins on Tone
Democratic Race Dominates Presidential Campaign Coverage
20 Feb 08The media narrative for the Democratic presidential race shifted dramatically last week, anointing a definite frontrunner and an underdog.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Obama Inspiring but Inexperienced, Clinton Prepared to Lead but "Hard to Like"
13 Feb 08While Democrats and independents who lean Democratic believe Clinton is prepared to lead, Obama has a clear lead on three positive campaign themes: inspiration, change, and honesty.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Evolving Media Expectations Plaguing All Remaining Candidates
12 Feb 08The presidential campaign again dominated news coverage but the journalistic narratives were not really the ones for which any of the remaining candidates were were probably hoping.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Young Voters in the 2008 Presidential Primaries
11 Feb 08Beyond the vote, the exit polls point to interesting differences -- and similarities -- between younger and older Democratic voters.
Pew Research Center

Does McCain Need Evangelical Voters?
Clinton Faces Challenge with Black Protestants; Obama Not Connecting With Jews
8 Feb 08Sizeable numbers of white evangelical Protestants are already part of McCain’s coalition despite opposition from some religious conservatives. On the Democratic side, Clinton will need to mobilize black Protestants while Obama has not connected with Jewish voters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Patterns of Distinction
8 Feb 08Super Tuesday revealed distinct – and somewhat suprising -- voting patterns across the nation that may shape the course ahead in the closely contested Democratic race.
Pew Research Center

Super Tuesday Results Suggest Race Card May Be A Joker in the Primary Deck
7 Feb 08Race still plays a role in U.S. politics but it showed up in surprising ways in tallies from Democratic primary elections so far this year.
Pew Research Center

McCain Wins the Coverage Battle as Media Move to Anoint Him
4 Feb 08By generating more coverage than any other candidate last week, and easily outdistancing his GOP rivals, Sen. John McCain rode a media narrative of near inevitability last week. Plus, Sen. Ted Kennedy becomes a major newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Faith Factor at the Polls
Virtually every religious community is important in at least one of the states with a Super Tuesday election.
4 Feb 08John Green: “Virtually every religious community one can think of is important in at least one of the states with an election on Super Tuesday.”
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

McCain’s Support Soars, Democratic Race Tightens
4 Feb 08Both Barack Obama and John McCain have gained considerable popularity in recent weeks with Obama’s gains concentrated among white, middle-income and moderate Democrats.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Independent Voters Vexed at Polls?
1 Feb 08Some 4.5 million independent voters in six states (Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oklahoma and Utah) will be completely locked out of their states’ presidential primaries on Feb. 5.
Stateline.org

A Portrait of the Latino Vote in Eight "Super Tuesday" States
1 Feb 08Hispanic voters could be crucial to the outcome of several of this week's primaries and caucuses. Here are fact sheets describing the socioeconomic characteristics of eligible Latino voters in each of the eight states with sizeable Hispanic populations.
Pew Hispanic Center

A Look at the Numbers
1 Feb 08So far, the 2008 primaries and caucuses have been anything but predictable -- comebacks, fallbacks, not to mention surprised pollsters. But a closer look reveals some common themes that have emerged.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?
Yes, but Not Always, and Not about Everything
31 Jan 08In general the nation's two largest minorities think well of each other, but there are some important differences, a Pew survey finds.
Social & Demographic Trends

GOP Debate's Economic Focus Mirrors Country's Growing Concern
31 Jan 08But candidates' perceptions on economic growth and tax cuts diverge from overall public priorities.
Pew Research Center

Are States Prepared for Problems When Voters Go to the Polls in 2008?
30 Jan 08Do the glitches reported during the Florida primary show that many states aren't ready for election day? Two experts debate the question.
Stateline.org

The South Carolina Democratic Primary in Black and White
28 Jan 08This time, the pre-election polls understated Barack Obama's support among both white and black voters.
Pew Research Center

'Present' votes defended by Illinois lawmakers
25 Jan 08Obama's former colleagues in the state legislature say that attacks on his 'present votes' show that either his opponents don't understand how things work in Springfield or they are deliberately distorting his record.
Stateline.org

Raising McCain
25 Jan 08Nearly lost in the blizzard of recent poll reports were the findings of a Gallup survey that the current GOP frontrunner, John McCain, might well give each of the two Democratic frontrunners a run for their money.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Will Evangelical Voters Rally Around a Single Candidate in 2008?
24 Jan 08As voting patterns and preferences among evangelicals have become more fluid, their electoral impact may extend beyond the primaries and affect both parties in November. Two experts from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life discuss this critical voting bloc.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Election-Year Economic Ratings Lowest Since '92
An Even More Partisan Agenda Greets Bush's Final State of the Union
24 Jan 08Republicans and Democrats agree the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress, but they differ more than ever on the importance of other domestic issues -- such as global warming and health insurance for the uninsured.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Laura Bush's Declining Favorability
Views of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Have Also Grown More Negative
24 Jan 08Laura Bush, once almost universally liked, has seen her favorability ratings slip over the past three years, especially among young adults. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also fallen from favor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton and Obama Lead Pack Again in Tight Battle for Media Attention
23 Jan 08But, thanks to press fascination with Mike Huckabee, Republicans overall generated more press than Democrats last week.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Mind the Gender Gap
18 Jan 08Does Hilary Clinton have a problem with male voters or does Barack Obama simply appeal more to men?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Top Conservative Talkers Rap Huckabee and McCain
18 Jan 08The most popular conservative voices in talk radio last week seemed to take sides in the crowded Republican presidential field.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

In GOP Primaries: Three Victors, Three Constituencies
Romney Gains Among Non-Evangelical Conservatives
16 Jan 08The Republican nomination contest is being increasingly shaped by ideology and religion, while the dynamics of the Democratic race are more heavily influenced by class, race and gender.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton is the Big Winner Last Week in the Race for Coverage
15 Jan 08The resurrection in New Hampshire of John McCain's once-dead campaign did not translate into similar largesse of media attention.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008
11 Jan 08The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential races. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Only Half of Public Can Name Both Iowa Winners, but Many Complain of Too Much Media Coverage
10 Jan 08In the wake of his Iowa victory, Barack Obama for the first time supplanted Hillary Clinton as the most visible presidential candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Getting It Wrong
10 Jan 08Several factors deserve exploration, but one should not ignore the possibility of the longstanding pattern of pre-election polls overstating support for black candidates among white voters, particularly white voters who are poor.
Pew Research Center

New Hampshire Teaches News Media a Lesson
10 Jan 08It wasn't quite "Dewey Defeats Truman," but after the Jan. 8 Granite State primary confounded many pollsters and pundits, a key story in coverage of the McCain and Clinton victories was the media's proclivity to predict and pre-analyze the results.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

With Focus on the Presidential Race, Stakes are High at the State Level Too
10 Jan 08While attention is focused on this year's presidential election, races with equal or even greater power to impact folks' everyday lives will be decided at the state level, including 11 governors' contests, key legislative races and numerous ballot initiatives.
Stateline.org

22 Governors Weigh in on Presidential Race
8 Jan 08Candidates covet endorsements by state chief executives, and so far 22 governors have announced their choices.
Stateline.org

The Public’s Not-So-Happy New Year
4 Jan 08Americans begin 2008 with a highly negative view of national conditions and President Bush, and with tempered expectations for the coming year. More Democrats look forward to elections, but Republicans are more optimistic about the year ahead.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

At the Start of the Primary Season, Republicans Run Neck and Neck Nationally, Clinton Clings to Solid Lead
2 Jan 08On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Giuliani's once solid lead in nationwide polls has vanished; religion has become a larger factor for GOP voters as Huckabee has become better known. The Democratic contest remains largely stable nationwide despite close state races.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Primary Preview: Dynamics Differ for the Two Parties in Early Races
Personal and Tactical Factors Matter Most for Democratic Candidates, Ideological Divides for Republican Candidates
19 Dec 07For Democratic candidates, the decisive factors in Iowa and New Hampshire are personal and tactical; for GOP contestants, however, the ultimate outcome may be decided by the relative strength of newly combative ideological elements.
Pew Research Center

Oprah Boosts Obama's Visibility; Republicans Applaud Romney Speech
13 Dec 07Awareness of Winfrey's support for Obama was equally high across parties, genders and racial groups; leading GOP candidates still lag behind Obama and Clinton in public visibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Courting of Iowa and New Hampshire: Many are Robo-Called but Fewer Are Listening
7 Dec 07Voters, especially Democrats, in two early primary states are being inundated with phone calls, mail and other campaign contacts; but so far there are few signs of campaign fatigue.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote?
6 Dec 07Earlier Republican Party gains among Latinos have dissipated in the past year, a new Pew Hispanic Center survey finds. Hispanics also comprise a sizable share of voters in four "swing states" that President Bush narrowly carried in 2004.
Pew Hispanic Center

How the World Rates Women as Leaders
5 Dec 07On Dec.10, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will become Argentina's first female president, joining 11 other female prime ministers and presidents. But a Pew Global Attitudes survey finds world publics hold mixed opinions about women political leaders.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

GOP Race Unsettled in Politically Diverse Early States
4 Dec 07Likely Republican voters in the three politically disparate early primary states express less enthusiasm about their field of presidential candidates, and many voice only modest support for their choices.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Opinion About Mormons
Mitt Romney Discusses His Religion
4 Dec 07Mitt Romney's speech discussing the role of religion in American politics addressed a public among which many harbor doubts about his Mormon faith.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Pressed in Iowa, But Holds Solid Leads Elsewhere
3 Dec 07Democrats enter the presidential primary campaign upbeat about their candidates and united in their views on major issues. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner in three key early primary states, holding a slim five-point edge in Iowa and more substantial 19-point and 14-point leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina, respectively.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Immigration Takes Center Stage at GOP YouTube Debate
Public Says It Prefers Questions From "Regular" People
29 Nov 07In a format the public says it prefers -- "regular people," not journalists, posing the questions -- immigration emerged as the hot-button issue. Were the candidates' answers in sync with GOP voters' opinions?
Pew Research Center

Public Sees Progress in War Effort
27 Nov 07For the first time in a long time, nearly half of Americans express positive opinions about the situation in Iraq and judgments about the overall situation in Iraq have been improving steadily since the summer.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The View from the Other Side
How Republicans Rate the Democratic Candidates, and Democrats Rate the Republicans
19 Nov 07A survey finds no evidence that a significant number of voters are considering crossing party lines -- or voting strategically for the other party's weakest candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tracking the Traders
A Look at the Buyers and Sellers Who Make the Stock Market Go Up and Down
19 Nov 07A look at the attitudes of the regular buyers and sellers who make the stock market go up and down finds they are, among other things, even more likely to support the frontrunners in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election '07: Lessons Learned
8 Nov 07Tuesday's elections proved once again that all politics is local as voters in three states soundly rejected governors' pet projects and others put big-ticket spending items on the state's credit card while providing possible clues to the voters' mood for '08. Also a graphic look at the before and after in three states where the entire legislatures were up for grabs.
Stateline.org

Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences
7 Nov 07A new analysis of recent surveys show Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the preferred candidates among key religious groups. Giuliani, though, garners considerably less support from white evangelical Protestants than he does from white mainline Protestants and white Catholics.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Election '07: Tuesday's Winners and Losers
7 Nov 07A roundup of state legislature and gubernatorial race outcomes and a look at the fate of high profile ballot initiatives across the states.
Stateline.org

A Year Later: Public Dissatisfied With Democratic Leaders, But Still Happy They Won
7 Nov 07Republican leaders share blame for Congress's lack of productivity; Democrats holds 12-point advantage over GOP as better able to manage the federal government.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Year Ahead, Republicans Face Tough Political Terrain
31 Oct 07A year before the 2008 presidential election, most major national opinion trends decidedly favor the Democrats and discontent with the state of the nation is markedly greater than it was four years ago. Also, Republicans have become less likely to say that their party is doing a good job standing up for its traditional positions.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Invisible Primary - Invisible No Longer
A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign
29 Oct 07In the early months of the 2008 campaign, the media had essentially winnowed the race to a handful of candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Modest Interest in 2008 Campaign News
Democratic Candidates Better Known, Even Among Republicans
23 Oct 07Many more Republicans are able to recall unprompted the names of Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than can name Rudy Giuliani and other leading GOP candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

State-level Republican Candidates Stress Immigration
18 Oct 07Candidates in several states are capitalizing on voter anger over illegal immigration after Congress failed for the second year in a row to pass major immigration reforms.
Stateline.org

A Portrait of Republican Social-Issue Voters
Though Much Courted by GOP candidates, Their Impact on the Nominating Process Is Still Unclear
15 Oct 07Though much courted by GOP candidates, the impact of this voting bloc on the presidential nominating process remains unclear.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Thompson Stands with GOP Rank and File during First Debate
The Former Senator Stuck to Traditional -- and Popular -- Positions Among Republican Voters
10 Oct 07In his first appearance on a debate stage with his rivals for the Republican nomination, the former Tennessee senator stuck to very traditional -- and very popular -- positions among his party's voters.
Pew Research Center

Cancer Research, Vouchers on '07 Ballots
1 Oct 07Proposals on cancer research and school vouchers are among the questions that voters in seven states will take up during this fall's quiet election season.
Stateline.org

Dems Debate Iraq Withdrawal Timetable
27 Sep 07When debate moderator Tim Russert asked the Democratic presidential candidates if they would pledge to have all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of their first term, the leading candidates all declined to make a firm pledge. Are they in sync -- or out of sync -- with the views of Democratic voters on the question of an Iraq war withdrawal timetable?
Pew Research Center

Political Knowledge Update
Most of the Public Is Familiar with Key Political and Iraq Facts
24 Sep 07Take our updated quiz about prominent people and major events in the news. Then see how you did in comparison with 1,005 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions in a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Voters Assess the '08 Hopefuls: Clinton Seen as 'Tough,' Giuliani Viewed as 'Energetic'
20 Sep 07The public is no more engaged by the presidential campaign than in the spring, but the perceived strengths of some leading candidates are coming into focus.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Oprah Factor in Campaign '08
Do Political Endorsements Matter?
20 Sep 07Do political endorsements matter? Generally they have little impact on voter preferences, but there's no telling whether Oprah Winfrey can do for Obama what she has done for countless books and products.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Case the Candidates for '08
The Pew Forum Database Covers Presidential Contenders' Positions on Issues of Special Religious Significance and Other Domestic and Foreign Policies
17 Sep 07The Pew Forum database covers presidential contenders' positions on issues of special religious significance as well as their stands on other domestic and foreign policies.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

A Nation of "Haves" and "Have-Nots"?
Far More Americans Now See Their Country as Sharply Divided Along Economic Lines
13 Sep 07Over the past two decades, the number of Americans who see the country as divided along economic lines has increased sharply, and twice as many people now see themselves among the society's "have-nots."
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Craig Scandal Highlights Governors' Appointment Powers
10 Sep 07The sudden departure from office of a U.S. senator -- or the threat of a departure -- often thrusts governors into the national spotlight, highlighting the sometimes murky and often politicized process of how states choose congressional replacements.
Stateline.org

"First of the Fall" GOP Debate
6 Sep 07On Wednesday evening, eight Republican presidential candidates met in a debate at the University of New Hampshire. How did candidate views compare with public opinion on the topics discussed?
Pew Research Center

Religion in Campaign '08
Clinton and Guiliani Seen as Not Highly Religious; Romney's Religion Raises Concerns
6 Sep 07Religion is not currently proving to be a clear-cut positive in the 2008 presidential race. Candidates viewed by voters as the least religious are the current frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican nominations – Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, respectively. And the candidate seen as far and away the most religious – Mitt Romney – appears handicapped by this perception because of voter concerns about Mormonism.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Fred Thompson's Online Campaign Is in Full Swing
At his website, I'mwithFred.com, the candidate-to-be is already busy reaching out to supporters
4 Sep 07When he formally enters the 2008 race this week, former Sen. Fred Thompson can behave in all ways like a presidential candidate. But on his "testing the waters" website, I'mwithFred.com, he's already been busy reaching out to supporters.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Black Enthusiasm for Clinton and Obama Leaves Little Room for Edwards
Clinton's Image Up among Liberals, Down among Conservatives; Obama Scores Best among College Educated
30 Aug 07The popularity of the two top contenders among key segments of the Democratic electorate may help explain why Edwards's populist platform has not drawn wider support so far.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Study in Contrasts: Clinton and Guiliani
Hillary Scores High with Democrats, Less So with the General Public; Rudy Has Broad Appeal but Weaker GOP Support
23 Aug 07Sen. Hillary Clinton is by far the most popular presidential candidate among her own party's voters, but among the general public, she has one of the lowest favorable ratings of the leading candidates. In sharp contrast, the front-running Republican candidate, Rudy Giuliani, evokes relatively modest enthusiasm from the GOP base, but is as broadly popular with all voters as any candidate in either party.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Religion and the Presidential Vote: A Tale of Two Gaps
21 Aug 07An analysis of national exit polls from 2004 shows there is not one but two religion gaps -- one based on religious affiliation and the other based on frequency of attendance at worship services. How did the gaps manifest themselves in the 2004 election and what are the possible implications for 2008?
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Democrats Debate in Iowa
20 Aug 07Sunday morning all eight Democratic candidates for president met at Drake University in Iowa. How did their views on issues ranging from Iraq to money in politics match up with public opinion data?
Pew Research Center

Presidential Campaign Isn't Making a Good First Impression
Older Men, Better Educated More Likely to Be Critical
15 Aug 07The 2008 presidential campaign already seems to be wearing out its welcome with many Americans. A 52% majority of the public offers a negative assessment of the early-blooming campaign and just one-in-five has a kind thing to say.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats Address Gay Community
10 Aug 07On Thursday night six Democratic presidential candidates came together for a debate on issues important to the gay community. Candidates took on issues from gay marriage to "don't ask don't tell" and addressed a party whose rank-and-file hold ambivalent positions on some issues of concern to gays.
Pew Research Center

Democratic Candidates Labor to Win Union Support
Union Label
8 Aug 07Seven Democratic candidates met on Soldier Field in Chicago on Tuesday to address a predominantly union audience at a candidate forum sponsored by the AFL-CIO. How did candidate views stack up with public opinion?
Pew Research Center

Republicans Preach to the Base in Sunday Morning Debate
But Views Differ from Those of Political Independents, Democrats
6 Aug 07Less than a week before the Iowa straw poll, the nine Republican presidential candidates squared off in Des Moines. Candidate views generally mirrored those of the Republican rank-and-file, but were often at odds with the opinions of the general public.
Pew Research Center

A Summer of Discontent with Washington
Clinton Widens Lead, Giuliani Slips
2 Aug 07All three branches of the federal government are under fire from the American public. Just 29% approve of President Bush's job performance while the proportion with a favorable view of Congress has declined 12 percentage points since January. Even favorable opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court have fallen, from 72% in January to 57% currently.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hillary Clinton Most Visible Presidential Candidate
Republicans Say Campaign is Being Over-Covered
26 Jul 07Hillary Clinton leads all Democrats with 42% of the public saying they have heard the most about her in the news lately.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Uploading Democracy: Candidates Field YouTube Questions
24 Jul 07Tuesday night's Democratic debate was widely anticipated for its groundbreaking format. Candidates took on a host of issues asked by citizens via YouTube videos; what follows is an analysis of the format and major themes of the debate as compared with public opinion data.
Pew Research Center

The Latino Electorate: A Widening Gap between Voters and the Larger Hispanic Population in the U.S.
24 Jul 07Latinos made up a slightly larger share of the total voter turnout in the 2006 election than in 2002; but, a new Pew Hispanic analysis finds, the Latino vote continued to lag well behind growth of the Latino population primarily because a high percentage of the new Hispanics in the U.S. are either too young to vote or are not citizens.
Pew Hispanic Center

Campaign Internet Videos: "Sopranos" Spoof vs. "Obama Girl"
Made for the Web but Viewed More on TV than Online
12 Jul 07They originate on the internet, but more people are viewing them on TV than online.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Are Candidate Web Sites Propaganda or News?
12 Jul 07Through their official websites, the campaigns themselves are challenging the press as a destination for news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

How Muslims Compare With Other Religious Americans
In Intensity of Religious Identity, Not Unlike Evangelicals
6 Jul 07Although Muslims constitute a small minority in the United States, in many ways, they stand out not so much for their differences as for their similarities with other religious groups, especially evangelicals.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Democrats Go Domestic: Analyzing the 6-28 Debate
A Comparison of the Candidates' Views with Those of the Public
29 Jun 07Before a predominantly black audience at Howard University, the eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination focused on issues of special interests to minorities including health care, education, taxes and racial discrimination.
Pew Research Center

Religious Republicans: Hanging Tough with Bush
GOP Presidential Candidates May Still Need Strong Backing from Church-Going Conservatives
22 Jun 07A dilemma for GOP Presidential Candidates: They're distancing themselves from Bush, but may still need strong backing from his faithful church-going supporters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Bloomberg Well Known, But of Limited Appeal for Now
20 Jun 07Michael Bloomberg has created some excitement in the political world about a possible run for the presidency by dropping his Republican affiliation. But a recent nationwide Pew voter survey found that while the New York mayor is relatively well known, his appeal is very modest at this point.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Support for '08 Presidential Candidates among Religious Groups
18 Jun 07The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life examines the support for the 2008 presidential candidates among some religious groups, including white evangelical Protestants, white mainline Protestants and non-Hispanic Catholics.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Mixed Views on Immigration Bill
Democratic Leaders Face Growing Disapproval, Criticism on Iraq
7 Jun 07The public is ambivalent about the immigration bill being debated in the Senate, but a majority favors one of its key goals - providing a way for illegal aliens to become citizens. The public supports such a provision even when it is described as "amnesty," a new Pew survey finds.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

¡Here Come 'Los Evangélicos'!
6 Jun 07Next week's National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. illustrates the growing presence and increasing political influence of Latino evangelicals. If Republicans have a prayer of making deep inroads into the Hispanic community, evangelicals may well provide their most direct route.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

The 6-5-07 Republican Debate: Comparing Candidate Views with Public Opinion
6 Jun 07Ten candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination for president squared off last night in a debate held in New Hampshire. Here is a run-down of how their views on key issues stacked up against the attitudes of the general public and of self-identified Republicans, Democrats and independents, as measured by recent Pew Research Center surveys.
Pew Research Center

Thompson Demonstrates Broad Potential Appeal
Bush Approval Falls to 29% -- Lowest Ever
5 Jun 07A new Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey finds broad potential appeal among Republicans for the all-but-announced candidacy of former Sen. Fred Thompson; meantime President Bush's approval rating has sunk to an all-time low of 29%.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The 6-3-07 Democratic Debate: Comparing Candidate Views with Public Opinion
4 Jun 07Eight candidates for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president squared off Sunday night in New Hampshire. Here is a run-down of how their views on key issues stacked up against the attitudes of the general public and of self-identified Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Pew Research Center

Political Divide in Views of Campaign Coverage
Public Wants More Coverage on Issues, Less on Fundraising
1 Jun 07About half the public believes that press coverage of 2008 presidential candidates has been fair, but there are partisan differences in these evaluations. A plurality of Republicans say the press has been too easy on Democratic candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Florida's Fast Break Accelerates Presidential Primary Stampede
23 May 07The state's leapfrog move further complicates an already chaotic presidential primary process.
Stateline.org

Rev. Falwell's Moral Majority: Mission Accomplished?
17 May 07When the late Rev. Jerry Falwell disbanded the Moral Majority in 1989, he declared that "our mission is accomplished." If Falwell meant that evangelical Christians had come to accept the idea that organized religion should play an activist role in the political process, his claim of success is well-supported by public opinion surveys.
Pew Research Center

Deconstructing the Debate 5/15/07
How Well Did the GOP Candidates' Views Match Those of Their Party's Members and of the General Public?
16 May 07A review of recent polling reveals that on most -- though not all issues -- the candidates are in tune with the majority of Republicans, but somewhat at odds with the broader public.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Presidential Politics and Mormon Faith
16 May 07Surveys show strong public misgivings about the religion and some 30% of the public say they are less likely to support a Mormon presidential candidate.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Are Americans Ready to Elect a Female President?
Past Statewide Elections Suggest Gender Is Not an Obstacle -- at Least for Democratic Candidates
9 May 07When evaluating Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2008 prospects, one question remains inescapable: Are American voters ready to pick a female president? A review of exit polls in statewide elections suggests that, at least for Democratic candidates, being a woman is not an obstacle.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Closeness to Troops Boosts Support for War -- but Not By Much
9 May 07Those with close contacts to servicemembers in Iraq or Afghanistan tend to be more supportive of the Iraq war but their differences with those who are not closely connected are relatively modest.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Can Secular Democracy Survive in Turkey?
Turmoil over a Presidential Choice Highlights Turks' Concerns about Religious Influence in Political Life
4 May 07By nominating an observant Muslim for the Turkish presidency, Prime Minister Erdogan inadvertently highlighted deep-rooted tensions about the role of religion in the nation's political life.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

The GOP's Invisible Men
Democratic Candidates Dominate the News
2 May 07Heading into their first debate Thursday evening, what Republican candidates for the presidency need most is to gain visibility. The latest News Interest Index survey finds Clinton and Obama are far more visible, even to Republicans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Surge in Support for Social Safety Net
Sympathy for the Poor and for Government Aid Programs Returns to 1980s Levels
2 May 07Support for government programs to help disadvantaged Americans, as well as sympathy for the plight of the poor, have surged since 1994 and returned to levels last seen in 1990 prior to welfare reform, with gains occurring among virtually every major social, political and demographic group.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Republicans Can't Possibly Win in '08...or Can They?
2 May 07Indicators of voter sentiment suggest most of the public wants change and may likely vote Democratic next year. Are aspirants for the GOP nomination wasting their time? Don't be too sure.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign '08: Analysis of Key Voter Groups
Solid Majority Favors Troop Withdrawal, But Both Sides Reject Compromise over Iraq Funding
26 Apr 07Who's most inspiring? Who's most electable? Find out how liberals and conservatives, war supporters and opponents and other segments of the electorate rate the presidential candidates. Also, a solid majority of the public favors troop withdrawal, but both sides reject compromise over Iraq funding.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Money Walks
Republicans Are Losing Ground among the Affluent, Too
12 Apr 07The Republican Party has traditionally garnered it strongest backing from wealthier voters. But the recent overall decline in Republican Party affiliation nationwide has taken a toll even on GOP support among affluent voters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Immigration Divide
Reform is a Potential Wedge Issue for Both Republicans and Democrats
12 Apr 07With his renewed push for a comprehensive immigration bill, President Bush is advancing a potentially powerful political wedge issue, but one with an unlikely twist: Immigration fractures the president's own party at least as much as it divides the opposition.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Culture War and the Coming Election
At the moment no hot-button issue looms but events could change that quickly
11 Apr 07No hot-button issue currently dominates in the presidential campaigns, but court decisions and other events could change that quickly.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

News Leaks Remain Divisive, but Libby Case Has Little Impact
Unauthorized Disclosures to Media Seen as Motivated More by Personal than Political Reasons
5 Apr 07Attitudes towards news leaks are virtually the same now as in 1986, with the public about evenly split between those who say leaks serve the public interest and those who say they harm it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Who Do You Trust for War News?
The Public Now Puts Little Confidence in the Descriptions of Iraq Provided by Either the Military or the Press
5 Apr 07Four years into the Iraq war, most Americans say they have little or no confidence in the information they receive -- from either the military or the media -- about how things are going on the ground.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The NRA's Image Improves as Support for Gun Control Slips
4 Apr 07Surveys taken before the Virginia Tech shootings showed that Americans had become less disposed to support gun control measures than they were in the years surrounding the Columbine school shootings in 1999.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Giuliani, McCain Lead Among Evangelical Republicans
23% Still Undecided
2 Apr 07The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life debuts its newly redesigned website with an early look at white evangelical Republicans and their candidate preferences for the 2008 presidential campaign. White evangelicals who are Republicans or Republican leaners divide their support between Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Democrats Fail to Impress in First 100 Days
Post-Walter Reed, Government Faulted on Vets' Care, Military Ratings Slip
29 Mar 07As the Democratic-led Congress approaches the 100-day mark, pluralities approve of House Speaker Pelosi's and Senate Majority Leader Reid's leadership. But Democrats get mixed reviews on campaign promises and policies and proposals.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Solid Majority Favors Congressional Troop Deadline
Some rise in optimism about current Iraq situation, but only 36% think surge will work in the long-run
26 Mar 0740% now say the situation in Iraq is going fairly or very well but nearly six in ten want their representative to vote for a withdrawal deadline and only 36% think the U.S. troop buildup will work.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Attitudes Toward Religion and Social Issues: 1987-2007
22 Mar 07As the '08 elections approach, what are the views of Republicans, Democrats and the general public on "social values" issues? And how have they changed over time?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats
22 Mar 07Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies have improved the political landscape for the Democrats as the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Trends in Public Opinion about the War in Iraq, 2003-2007
15 Mar 07On the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the public has turned against the decision to use military force. But views of how the military effort is going, while now decidedly negative, have been more volatile, and Americans have been slow to conclude that U.S. troops should be withdrawn.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Which Governor Has the Most Clout?
Massachusetts' Chief Executive Out-Powers His Peers in Alaska, Maryland, and New Jersey -- Not to Mention New York and California
9 Mar 07In a new ranking of the states, Massachusetts' chief executive out-powers his peers in Alaska, Maryland and New Jersey -- not to mention New York and California.
Stateline.org

Foreign Policy: The Public Sends a Muddled Message
No Clear Directions for Policymakers
8 Mar 07Opinion surveys find much in the way of public frustration, but little in the way of direction on the international and military front.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Verdict on the Media's Verdict on the Libby Trial
Not Guilty of Overt Celebration
8 Mar 07The jury has spoken in the perjury and obstruction trial of Scooter Libby that so intimately involved the journalism profession itself. We know the vice-president's former top aide was found guilty. But who and what else did the media implicate in its post-verdict coverage?
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Voters Remain In Neutral As Presidential Campaign Moves Into High Gear
Republicans Lag in Engagement and Enthusiasm for Candidates
23 Feb 07Latest Pew poll finds Republicans lagging Democrats in attention to the race and enthusiasm for candidates. Clinton is Democrats' strongest choice but Obama leads among independents; Giuliani tops McCain in popularity among Republicans and independents.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

War Support Slips, Fewer See Positive Outcome
New Poll Also Finds Growing Pessimism about Deficit, Rich-Poor Gap
15 Feb 07Two-thirds of the public now says that the U.S. military effort in Iraq is not going well, reflecting a sharp increase in the last year. And most say the country is also losing ground in problem areas from the federal budget to corruption to the environment.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

How Reliable Are the Early Presidential Polls?
14 Feb 07As the number of declared presidential candidates grows, followers of early poll readings should bear in mind some caveats. Early frontrunners for the Republican nomination in most of the past seven open contests have gone on to win the nomination, but this year there are two GOP frontrunners instead of one clear leader. On the Democratic side, even when there is a clear frontrunner as there is this year with Sen. Hillary Clinton, the early polls have been less reliable in predicting who will capture the nomination.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Primary Scramble Prompts Calls to Slow Down
12 Feb 07The scramble among states to move up their presidential primaries next year has renewed calls from a number of the nation's chief election officers to end the helter-skelter and move to a slower nominating process, such as by staging four regional primaries.
Stateline.org

Can You Trust What Polls Say about Obama's Electoral Prospects?
Two Important Trends Suggest Americans May Now Be Ready to Elect an African American President
7 Feb 07The strong showing of Democrat Barack Obama in early trial heat polls for the 2008 presidential election raises anew the question of whether the American public is ready to support an African American candidate for president. Recent polling points to two significant shifts on this question.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election Newshounds Speak Up
Newspaper, TV and Internet Fans Tell How and Why They Differ
6 Feb 07If you ask political news consumers what they like most about their favorite platform for news, a vivid image of a typical TV, newspaper, and internet political news consumer will emerge from their own comments. All three media forms win praise from their primary fans for their convenience but the context for its definition varies.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Mega-donors Get Mixed Election Returns
Wealthy Contributors Find that Big Bucks Sometimes Backfire
5 Feb 07A bevy of big donors poured some of their personal fortunes into last year's gubernatorial, state legislative and ballot-measure contests. But the super-rich had a mixed record in their single-handed efforts to sway election outcomes. In some cases, the motives of wealthy donors even backfired against their candidates or causes.
Stateline.org

Top of the News: Politics, War, and a Crucial Speech
PEJ News Coverage Index: Jan. 21-26, 2007
30 Jan 07One not-so-subliminal message in last week's coverage is that of an increasingly dangerous and destabilizing world.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Global Warming: A Divide on Causes and Solutions
Public Views Unchanged by Unusual Weather
24 Jan 07New poll finds continuing broad agreement that the earth is getting hotter, but few rate the phenomenon a top priority for action.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Broad Support for Political Compromise in Washington
But Many Are Hesitant to Yield on Contentious Issues
22 Jan 07A large majority of the American public thinks the country is more politically polarized than in the past, and an even greater number expresses a strong desire for political compromise. Fully three-quarters say they like political leaders who are willing to compromise, compared with 21% who see this as a negative trait.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election 2006 Online
The Internet Is Creating a New Class of Web-Savvy Political Activists
17 Jan 07A new poll finds the number of Americans who got most of their information about the 2006 campaign on the internet doubled from the 2002 mid-term election, and many used the web to become politically involved.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Most Oppose President Bush's New Iraq Plan
But New Poll Finds Surging GOP Support for a Troop Surge
16 Jan 07President Bush's plan to send roughly 21,000 additional troops to Iraq has drawn broad opposition from the American public. If anything, the plan has triggered increased partisan polarization on the debate over what to do in Iraq.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
9 Jan 07A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats in Congress Top the Week's News
The Debut of the PEJ News Coverage Index
9 Jan 07The changing of the political guard in Washington, the death of a president and the hanging of a dictator were enough to overshadow the war in Iraq in the American news media last week, according to the inaugural edition of the PEJ News Coverage Index.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Complicated Politics of Free Trade
Unrestricted Trade Makes for Strange Political Bedfellows
4 Jan 07Crafting effective U.S. trade policies in an era of rapid economic globalization is tough. But the politics of free trade are even tougher -- particularly for Democrats, according to a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What Was -- and Wasn't on the Public's Mind
...And How Opinions Changed During 2006
20 Dec 06Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years -- notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

There's a Robot on the Line for You
This Election Year, Voters Were Bombarded with Recorded Telephone Messages
20 Dec 06Nearly two-thirds of registered voters (64%) received recorded telephone messages in the final stages of the 2006 mid-term election. These so-called "robo-calls" were the second most popular way for campaigns and political activists to reach voters, trailing only direct mail.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Free Trade Agreements Get a Mixed Review
51% Say U.S. Has Responsibility to "Do Something" in Darfur
19 Dec 06The American public continues to have a mixed opinion about free trade agreements such as NAFTA and the WTO. On balance they are seen as a good thing for the country, but Americans are divided over the impact of free trade agreements on their own personal financial situations.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public to '08 Contenders - It's Too Early
Favorable Ratings Are Mixed for Pelosi, Reid
14 Dec 06Politicians and political reporters are scrambling to book flights for New Hampshire and other presidential primary states, but the public is far from engaged in the jockeying for 2008.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Baker-Hamilton Report Evokes Modest Public Interest
Growing Number Sees Iraq Becoming 'Another Vietnam'
12 Dec 06The public has grown more negative about the situation in Iraq and President Bush's handling of the war. Half of Americans now believe the war in Iraq will turn out to be another Vietnam, while just a third think that the U.S. will accomplish its goals there.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Civil War: What's in a Name?
To Most of the American Public, the Question May Be Largely Semantic
6 Dec 06A mostly insiders-only debate about whether Iraq is in a state of civil war broke out into the open last week when two major news organizations announced that they would henceforth refer to the conflict as a civil war. According to polling in September by the Pew Research Center, much of the public had already reached that conclusion.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Religion's Role in the 2006 Election
The "God Gap" Persists, but Other Gaps Are Much Larger
5 Dec 06Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green and American Enterprise Institute Resident Fellow Karlyn Bowman analyze polling data to address such issues as whether Democrats closed the "God gap," which religious groups were "in play" this election, and whether or not religion polarizes voters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Parsing the '06 Latino Vote
Hispanic Voters Returned to their '02 Pattern in Supporting Democrats
27 Nov 06Widely cited findings from the national exit polls suggest Latinos tilted heavily Democratic in the 2006 election, taking back most of the support they had granted the Republicans just two years earlier. Does that mean the Latinos who flirted with the Republican Party are now firmly back in the Democratic camp?
Pew Hispanic Center

How the Media Did on Election Night
The 2006 campaign, and its climax, marked a transition in the news outlets covering it
27 Nov 06If the mid-term election of 2006 marked a transition in American political life -- the loss by the Republicans of both the House and the Senate -- the campaign also marked a transition in the rapidly changing landscape of the news media covering it.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Religious Groups React to the 2006 Election
Most are Happy with the Democratic Victory but Want the Two Parties to Work Together
27 Nov 06The religious divide in voting that has characterized American politics over the last several elections largely persisted in the 2006 election. But people in most religious groups say they are happy that the Democrats won.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

America's Optimists: More Republican, But Fewer of Them
20 Nov 06Since 2000, people have become far more pessimistic and partisan in their views about the country's future -- and their own.
Pew Research Center

Public Cheers Democratic Victory
Expectations as High as for GOP in 1994
16 Nov 06The Democrats' big win on Nov. 7 has gotten a highly favorable response from the public. In fact, initial reactions to the Democratic victory are as positive as they were to the GOP's electoral sweep of Congress a dozen years ago.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election '06: Big Changes in Some Key Groups
16 Nov 06In the aftermath of the 2006 election, the shifting allegiance of some important voter groups has gotten relatively little attention. One of the biggest stories is about young people. Another is what really happened to "The God Gap." And a third is about the one-fifth of voters who aren't white.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

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