Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Publications

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    Possible Consequences of Non-Response for Pre-Election Surveys

    Survey Findings Pre-election polling is tricky work. A number of unknown factors can stand in the way of accurate predictions — problems with identifying registered and likely voters, uncertainties about voter turnout, and last-minute shifts in candidate preference. But estimating voter preferences in biracial elections has been especially difficult. Pre-election surveys, even those taken just […]

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    Mixed Reaction to Post-Seinfeld Era

    Survey Findings The situation comedy “Seinfeld” may be the most popular television show of its time, but only half of the people who watch it say they’ll miss it when it’s gone. And even fewer want friends like Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. Today, 62% of the public says they watch the program, and, at […]

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    Pew Values Update: American Social Beliefs 1997 – 1987

    Introduction and Summary Americans continue to express a strong sense of individualism. They believe their destiny is in their own hands and that hard work will be rewarded. But they also believe that society should level the playing field so that everyone has an equal chance to get ahead. The public credits business for much […]

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    Washington Leaders Wary of Public Opinion

    Introduction and Summary Washington’s leaders and the American public are out of step with one another. Public distrust of government is paralleled by a belief among members of Congress, presidential appointees and senior civil servants that the American public is too ill-informed to make wise decisions about important issues. Washington leaders also significantly underestimate the […]

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    Democratic Congressional Chances Helped by Clinton Ratings

    Introduction and Summary President Clinton’s lofty performance ratings are benefiting the Democratic Party, which is now in a stronger position with American voters than it has been for some time. In contrast, continuing negative perceptions of Republican congressional leaders are hamstringing the image of their party. By the biggest margin of the decade, the public […]

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    The Clinton Crisis and the Press

    The study, a follow up to an earlier one in February, raises basic questions about whether the press has become too lax about offering readers as much information as possible, and whether journalists have allowed sources to dictate terms too easily.

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    Conservative Opinions Not Underestimated, But Racial Hostility Missed

    Introduction and Summary A unique survey research experiment finds that public opinion polls, as they are typically conducted, do not understate conservative opinions or support for the Republican Party. Conservative critics of the polls have charged that these surveys are politically biased. A methodological study by the Pew Research Center finds little evidence of this, […]

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    How Americans View Government

    Introduction and Summary Americans continue to distrust the government, although there are signs that hostility toward government has begun to diminish. There is also considerable evidence that distrust of government is strongly connected to how people feel about the overall state of the nation. Today, personal satisfaction is soaring, the economy is thriving and confidence […]

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    The Clinton Crisis and the Press

    >From the earliest moments of the Clinton crisis,the press routinely intermingled reporting with opinion and speculation–even on the front page–according to a new systematic study of what and how the press reported. The study raises basic questions about the standards of American journalism and whether the press is in the business of reporting facts or something else.