While Valentine’s Day is widely celebrated as a time for peak romance – and even marriage proposals – marriage isn’t the only way to achieve happiness and contentment for many Americans. Fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults say being married is essential for a man or a woman to live a fulfilling life, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in summer 2019.
Similar shares of adults say that marriage is essential for women (17%) and men (16%) to live fulfilling lives. A much larger share of Americans (54%) say being married is important but not essential for men and women to live fulfilling lives. And about three-in-ten say marriage is not important in this respect.
The public places somewhat more importance on being in a committed romantic relationship than being married. About one-in-four adults (26%) say being in such a relationship is essential for men to lead fulfilling lives, and 30% say the same about women. Again, though, much larger shares see this as important but not essential for men (59%) and women (57%). Fewer people see this as not important. Read More →
Most Americans (72%) say it is likely that Russia or other foreign governments will attempt to influence the November 2020 election. But while majorities in both parties say this, this view is more widespread among Democrats than Republicans, with Democrats considerably more likely to consider efforts by foreign nations to influence the election to be a “major problem.”
Overall, roughly four-in-ten Americans (39%) say attempts by foreign governments to influence the 2020 election are very likely, with another 32% viewing this as somewhat likely. Just 27% say it is not too likely (20%) or not at all likely (7%) that these attempts will occur. Read More →
Science issues – whether connected with climate, childhood vaccines or new techniques in biotechnology – are part of the fabric of civic life, raising a range of social, ethical and policy issues for the citizenry. As members of the scientific community gather at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) this week, here is a roundup of key takeaways from our studies of U.S. public opinion about science issues and their effect on society. If you’re on Twitter, follow @pewscience for more science findings.
Establishing a way for most unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country legally is the top immigration policy goal for Hispanics in the United States, with more than half (54%) saying it is very important, according to a national Pew Research Center survey of Hispanic adults conducted in December. While a significant partisan gap exists on this issue, strong majorities of Hispanic Democrats and Republicans say this immigration policy goal is at least somewhat important.
Many of the nation’s 60 million Hispanics have immigrant connections. About 20 million are immigrants themselves (though 79% are U.S. citizens), and another 19 million have at least one parent who is an immigrant. As of 2017, Hispanics accounted for 73% of an estimated 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S., and a growing number of them came from Central America over the previous decade. Read More →
There is broad concern among Democrats and Republicans about the influence that made-up news could have during the 2020 presidential election – and partisans on both sides expect it to be aimed at their own party much more than the other.
Similarly large shares of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (82%) and Republicans and GOP leaners (84%) say they are very or somewhat concerned about the influence that made-up news could have during the election. Around half in each group (48% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans) say they are very concerned, according to a Pew Research Center survey of more than 12,000 U.S. adults conducted in October and November last year. The survey is the first in the Center’s nearly yearlong Election News Pathways project, which explores how Americans’ news habits and attitudes relate to what they hear, perceive and know about the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Liberal Democrats are more likely than moderate or conservative Democrats to say they are very concerned about the influence made-up news could have during the election (58% vs. 40%). Similarly, conservative Republicans are more likely than moderate or liberal Republicans to say this (57% vs. 38%).
Candidates participated in the Democratic presidential primary debate at St. Anselm College on Feb. 7 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Democratic registered voters in the United States have a positive view of the field of candidates vying for their party’s presidential nomination, and they generally agree with each other on issues ranging from gun laws to climate change, according to a January Pew Research Center survey.
But as the race for the nomination heads to New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, supporters of the major Democratic candidates stand apart from one another in notable ways. Below is a snapshot of some of these differences, based on the recent national survey of more than 10,000 U.S. registered voters, including nearly 5,900 Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents.
All findings in this analysis are based on the views of registered voters who are Democrats or lean to the party. Some candidates are not included due to sample size limitations. Read More →
Houses in Naples, Florida. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Rising economic inequality in the United States has become a central issue in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and discussions about policy interventions that might help address it are likely to remain at the forefront in the 2020 general election.
As these debates continue, here are some basic facts about how economic inequality has changed over time and how the U.S. compares globally.
1Over the past 50 years, the highest-earning 20% of U.S. households have steadily brought in a larger share of the country’s total income. In 2018, households in the top fifth of earners (with incomes of $130,001 or more that year) brought in 52% of all U.S. income, more than the lower four-fifths combined, according to Census Bureau data.
In 1968, by comparison, the top-earning 20% of households brought in 43% of the nation’s income, while those in the lower four income quintiles accounted for 56%. Read More →
Globally, people tend to express little confidence in Putin’s ability to do the right thing regarding world affairs. And views of Russia itself mirror these negative evaluations of Putin. In most of the 33 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center in 2019, less than half of adults see Russia favorably. Read More →
Lesbian, gay or bisexual adults are roughly twice as likely as those who are straight to say they have ever used a dating site or app. (FatCamera via Getty Images)
In the more than two decades since the launch of commercial dating sites such as Match.com, online dating has evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry serving customers around the world. A new Pew Research Center study explores how dating sites and apps have transformed the way Americans meet and develop relationships, and how the users of these services feel about online dating.
Here are 10 facts from the study, which is based on a survey conducted among 4,860 U.S. adults in October 2019:
1Three-in-ten U.S. adults say they have ever used a dating site or app, but this varies significantly by age and sexual orientation. While 48% of 18- to 29-year-olds say have ever used a dating site or app, the share is 38% among those ages 30 to 49 and even lower for those 50 and older (16%). At the same time, personal experiences with online dating greatly differ by sexual orientation. Lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) adults are roughly twice as likely as those who are straight to say they ever used a dating platform (55% vs. 28%).
2A small share of Americans say they have been in a committed relationship with or married someone they met through a dating site or app. About one-in-ten U.S. adults say this (12%), though these shares are higher among LGB adults, as well as those ages 18 to 49. Read More →
Online dating is, in a sense, the latest iteration of an old idea: People have been using digital technology to help them find romance since the emergence of computer dating services in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, as punch cards and room-sized mainframes have largely been superseded by smartphone apps and websites, technology continues to reshape how people connect with each other.
We spoke with Monica Anderson, Pew Research Center’s associate director of internet and technology research, about the Center’s latest report on the world of online dating. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and concision. Read More →
While Valentine’s Day is widely celebrated as a time for peak romance – and even marriage proposals – marriage isn’t the only way to achieve happiness and contentment for many Americans. Fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults say being married is essential for a man or a woman to live a fulfilling life, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in summer 2019.
