Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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    Between Assad and a Hard Place

    Syria’s neighbors fear an extremist Syria, and they want Assad to go, but there is no support among publics in the Middle East for either Western or Arab intervention to achieve those ends.

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    Why timely, reliable data on mass killings is hard to find

    Several government agencies and nonprofit groups gather and publish data on school shootings and other public mass killings. But because of data lags and differing definitions, getting a clear read on overall trends is surprisingly hard.

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    Which party is more to blame for political polarization? It depends on the measure

    Our report on political polarization in America has renewed debate among journalists and academics over what is called “asymmetrical polarization” – the idea that one party has moved further ideologically than the other. A number of congressional scholars have concluded that the widening partisan gap in Congress is attributable mostly to a rightward shift among […]

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    Opinion of Obama, Obamacare, economy influences vote

    A dug-in electorate bodes poorly for the Democrats in November

    Since the Affordable Care Act was passed nearly four years ago, a plurality of Americans have disapproved of it. Since the onset of the Great Recession 6 years ago, more than 80% of Americans have rated economic conditions as only fair or poor. And since winning a second term, Barack Obama’s approval score has mostly been in the mid-40s or lower.

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    Widespread Concern Extremists Will Prevail in Syria

    Strong majorities in most of Syria’s neighboring countries, especially in Lebanon and Israel, fear an extremist takeover in Damascus. The least concern is in Turkey, despite a number of terrorist incidents on the Turkish-Syrian border. In Lebanon, Christians are the most worried about extremism next door. In Israel, Jews are somewhat more worried about extremists […]

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    Syria’s Neighbors Want Assad to Step Down, But No Appetite for Aid to Rebels

    After three years of civil war, Syria’s neighbors fear that al Qaeda or other extremist groups could take control of that war-torn land, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Regional publics widely disapprove of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and they want him to step down. Nevertheless, there is mounting opposition in […]