Interactives

Public trust in government remains low, as it has for much of the 21st century. Only two-in-ten Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do what is right “just about always” (2%) or “most of the time” (19%).

The interactive chart below illustrates the shift in the American public’s political values over the past two decades, using a scale of 10 questions asked together on seven Pew Research Center surveys since 1994.

Explore 20 years of data on public opinion about gun control vs. gun rights.

The two parties look less alike today than at any point over the last quarter-century.

Donald Trump’s rise to become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee followed a lengthy primary campaign. Over the course of 2015 and early 2016, most GOP voters switched their preferences for the nomination at least once – and many switched several times. Below you can explore how candidates gained (and lost) supporters among the same nationally […]

Pew Research Center has been tracking the party affiliation of the general public for over 20 years. Explore the party ID data for two dozen demographic subgroups, categorized by gender, race, education, generation, and religious affiliation.

Respondents in the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel were surveyed about which of 12 traits they feel are “especially important to teach children,” and to then choose the three most important. The total percentages who name each trait among the most important are presented in this interactive chart along a scale of political ideology.

Highlights from the report: Public Sees U.S. Power Declining as Support for Global Engagement Slips. For the first time in nearly a half century of polling – a majority agrees that the United States should mind its own business internationally.

Public trust in the government, already quite low, has edged even lower in a survey conducted just before the Oct. 16 agreement to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling. Explore public attitudes towards the federal government over time and compare the data with other key national indicators, such as consumer sentiment, the […]

Ben Franklin once said that nothing in life is certain, but death and taxes. More than two centuries later, taxes remain a yearly ritual for most Americans. Most say they dislike – or even hate – doing their taxes, but about a third say they like it – or even love it. Click through the […]