About half (49%) the public now has a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party, up from 43% in January. Impressions of the Republican Party remain negative.

Employment for men increased by 2.6 million jobs between the fourth quarter of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2011. The gain in jobs was four times that of women, but was still not enough to bring male employment back to its pre-recession level.

About three-quarters of state prison chaplains (77%) say that a lot or some religious switching occurs among inmates in the prisons where they work.

More than four-in-ten Americans (43%) view the increase in intermarriage as a societal change for the better, while about one-in-ten (11%) hold the opposite view. The rest of the public says it doesn’t make a difference.

A 56% majority of the public disapproves of the health care law’s requirement that all individuals have health insurance or face a penalty; 41% approve of the mandate. The Supreme Court begins hearing arguments on the law today.

A majority (55%) of people who support Rick Santorum for the GOP presidential nomination say there is too little expression of religious faith and prayer by political leaders; just 24% of Mitt Romney’s backers agree.

Among post-9/11 combat veterans, more than half (52%) say they had emotionally traumatic or distressing experiences during their military service.

Americans are almost evenly divided in their opinion of the 2010 health care law, with 47% in favor of it and 45% against it.

A growing number of Republican and Republican-leaning voters are concerned that the extended GOP primary campaign will be a bad thing for the Republican Party this year. A month ago, 55% of people viewed it as a good thing for the party; now, 47% hold that view.