Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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  • short reads

    As Israelis, Palestinians get ready for peace talks, many welcome American role

    Many critics have questioned whether Secretary of State John Kerry’s focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is worth the effort, given the region’s rich history of diplomatic disappointment, but Kerry has managed to bring the two sides together this week in Washington for their first talks in several years.  Polling finds limited optimism about the prospects […]

  • report

    Widening Regional Divide over Abortion Laws

    Overview While the balance of opinion toward abortion nationwide has remained largely steady over the past 20 years, there are widening disparities in public attitudes on the issue across different regions of the country. Opposition to legal abortion is highest in parts of the South – including Texas, which recently passed sweeping new abortion restrictions. […]

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    More Evidence of Preference for Sons

    This posting is an excerpt from a FactTank article about unmarried fatherhood, and which fathers are more likely to acknowledge paternity when asked. Unmarried fathers of sons are slightly more likely to acknowledge paternity than fathers of daughters.

  • short reads

    More evidence of preference for sons

    As the number of babies born to unmarried mothers has risen, so has interest from government officials in persuading unmarried fathers to sign a paternity acknowledgement form that gets their name added to the birth certificate. It’s standard practice now for hospitals to ask those dads to sign–but not everyone does. What makes a difference […]

  • short reads

    Americans want to mind their own business

    Nearly half of Americans say the country should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along as best they can on their own.

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    America’s International Image Slipping

    In the fifth year of the Obama presidency, the United States’ image remains strong around the world compared with the last years of the administration of President George W. Bush. Still, pro-America sentiment is slipping.

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    Government Surveillance: A Question Wording Experiment

    Overview In the wake of leaked information about the government’s telephone and digital surveillance programs last month, public opinion surveys reported a wide range of reactions. For example, a Pew Research Center/Washington Post survey conducted immediately after the revelations found broad support for the program, while a Gallup survey conducted just days later found more […]

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    Few See Adequate Limits on NSA Surveillance Program

    Overview A majority of Americans – 56% – say that federal courts fail to provide adequate limits on the telephone and internet data the government is collecting as part of its anti-terrorism efforts. An even larger percentage (70%) believes that the government uses this data for purposes other than investigating terrorism. And despite the insistence […]