Testing survey questions ahead of time can help sharpen a poll’s focus
Testing questions in advance can help ensure they are as clear as possible — and that they measure what researchers set out to measure.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Publications
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Deep Divisions in Views of the Election Process – and Whether It Will Be Clear Who Won
Just half of registered voters expect to know results within a day or two of Election Day, including nearly identical shares who support Trump and Biden.
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Mail-in voting became much more common in 2020 primaries as COVID-19 spread
Mail-in ballots accounted for just over half of this year’s primary votes cast in the 37 states (plus D.C.) for which data is available.
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White Christians continue to favor Trump over Biden, but support has slipped
President Trump continues to be White Christians’ preferred candidate, but support among voters in three traditions has slipped since August.
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Republicans who rely most on Trump for COVID-19 news see the outbreak differently from those who don’t
Among Republicans, opinions about the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. differ considerably by source of news.
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Voters’ views of McConnell and Schumer are negative and deeply divided by partisanship
U.S. voters express more negative than positive views of the Senate’s top leaders, Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Chuck Schumer.
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Most Americans see a place for anonymous sources in news stories, but not all the time
A majority (82%) say there are times when it is acceptable for journalists to use anonymous sources, with 67% saying it is acceptable only in special cases.
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Amid Campaign Turmoil, Biden Holds Wide Leads on Coronavirus, Unifying the Country
Comparable majorities of both candidates’ supporters say it “really matters” who wins in November, with large majorities on both sides saying a win by the opposing candidate would lead to “lasting harm” for the country.
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Partisans in the U.S. increasingly divided on whether offensive content online is taken seriously enough
Americans have grown more divided on whether offensive content online is taken seriously enough and on which is more important online, free speech or feeling safe.
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What Lessons Do Americans See for Humanity in the Pandemic?
A large majority of U.S. adults (86%) say there is some kind of lesson or set of lessons for humankind to learn from the pandemic, and about a third of Americans (35%) say the lessons were sent by God.
