Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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    In Social Media, Support for Same-sex Marriage

    During a week when North Carolina voters rejected same-sex marriage and President Obama endorsed it, the controversial issue inspired a passionate debate on blogs and Twitter. And in both social media platforms, those in favor of allowing gay couples to wed dominated those who were opposed.

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    College Graduation: Weighing the Cost … and the Payoff

    The issue of costs and rising student debt have have touched off a national debate about the cost and value of a college education. Surveys by the Pew Research Center present this portrait of the views of the general public and college graduates on these issues.

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    Obama Support for Gay Marriage Public’s Top Story

    Overview President Obama’s expression of support for same-sex marriage proved to be the public’s top news story last week. About a quarter of Americans (26%) say they followed news about Obama’s statements on the divisive topic more closely than any other news, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted May 10-13 among […]

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    About the News Interest Index

    The News Interest Index is a weekly survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press aimed at gauging the public’s interest in and reaction to major news events. This project has been undertaken in conjunction with the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s News Coverage Index, an ongoing content analysis of […]

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    Assessing the Representativeness of Public Opinion Surveys

    Overview For decades survey research has provided trusted data about political attitudes and voting behavior, the economy, health, education, demography and many other topics. But political and media surveys are facing significant challenges as a consequence of societal and technological changes. It has become increasingly difficult to contact potential respondents and to persuade them to […]

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    Half Say View of Obama Not Affected by Gay Marriage Decision

    Overview Roughly half of Americans (52%) say Barack Obama’s expression of support for gay marriage did not affect their opinion of the president. A quarter (25%) say they feel less favorably toward Obama because of this while 19% feel more favorably. There are wide partisan and age differences in reactions to Obama’s expression of support […]