Short Reads Archives

short readsApr 24, 2014

Data Feed: Democracy in Africa, healthcare reform in the South, race and college enrollment

A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
short readsApr 24, 2014

More Hispanics, blacks enrolling in college, but lag in bachelor’s degrees

From 1996 to 2012, college enrollment among Hispanics ages 18 to 24 more than tripled (240% increase), outpacing increases among blacks (72%) and whites (12%).
short readsApr 24, 2014

Among Hispanics, immigrants more likely to be stay-at-home moms and to believe that’s best for kids

Views among Hispanics born in the U.S. mirror those of all Americans—about six-in-ten believe that kids are better off if a parent stays home to focus on the family. But a far larger majority—85%–of foreign-born Hispanics say that children are better off if a parent is at home.
short readsApr 23, 2014

Obama visits Asia amid regional concerns about China

President Obama’s trip to Asia this week comes at a time when many U.S. allies in the region are concerned about China’s intentions.
short readsApr 23, 2014

Data Feed: Tight Senate races in the South, fewer Baby Boomers, democracy in Africa

A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
short readsApr 23, 2014

Americans keen on space exploration, less so on paying for it

Americans are consistently more likely to say that the U.S. spends too much on space exploration than too little.
short readsApr 22, 2014

Supreme Court says states can ban affirmative action; 8 already have

Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision upholding Michigan’s ban on affirmative action affects more than college admissions, and more than just Michigan. Seven other states have similarly broad bans in their constitutions or statute books, and opponents of affirmative action have called on other states, and the federal government, to follow suit.
short readsApr 22, 2014

Public strongly backs affirmative action programs on campus

The use of affirmative action programs in college admissions has roiled campuses and the public for years, leading to state-passed laws banning the practice to today’s Supreme Court ruling upholding a Michigan voter initiative banning the use of racial preferences. But while the debate and the battles continue, a new Pew Research Center poll finds that Americans overwhelmingly support these programs.
short readsApr 22, 2014

Data Feed: World’s richest middle class, first-term senators at risk, when the workday begins

A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
short readsApr 22, 2014

Census may change some questions after pushback from public

The U.S. Census Bureau is considering whether to drop some questions that it has used for decades and have been the source of complaints from the public who see them as intrusive or overly burdensome.