Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Politics

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    About the Surveys

    Most of the analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted December 1-5, 2010 among a national sample of 1,500 adults 18 years of age or older living in the continental United States (1,000 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 500 were interviewed on a cell phone, including 201 who had […]

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    Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism

    Overview In many respects, there is a broad public consensus when it comes to the federal budget deficit: seven-in-ten say it is a major problem that must be addressed right away, and roughly two-thirds say that the best way to reduce the deficit is through a combination of cutting major government programs and increasing taxes. […]

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    Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism

    Seven-in-ten say the deficit is a major problem that must be addressed right away, but this general consensus evaporates when concrete deficit reduction proposals are tested.

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    Mixed Views on Tax Cuts, Support for START and Allowing Gays to Serve Openly

    Overview With the public giving subpar approval ratings to President Obama and continuing to express negative views of Congress and the political parties, it goes its own way on many of the remaining issues before the lame-duck Congress. In a survey conducted before Obama and GOP leaders agreed to temporarily extend all Bush-era tax cuts, […]

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    Despite Years of Terror Scares, Public’s Concerns Remain Fairly Steady

    Overview Since 9/11, there have been major terrorist attacks in Great Britain, Spain and other countries. And in the United States, there have been Orange Alerts and numerous near misses involving bombs smuggled aboard aircraft and in parked cars. But over the course of all of this, there is little evidence that close calls in […]

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    Most Continue to Favor Gays Serving Openly in Military

    Overview As the Pentagon prepares to release its highly anticipated survey of military personnel about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, most Americans (58%) say they favor allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the armed forces. Fewer than half that number (27%) oppose allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. These opinions have changed little […]