Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Search results for: “31”

  • report

    More Blame Wars than Domestic Spending or Tax Cuts for Nation’s Debt

    Overview Far more Americans say that the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has contributed a great deal to the nation’s debt than say that about increased domestic spending or the tax cuts enacted over the past decade. Six-in-ten (60%) say the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has contributed a […]

  • short reads

    Buying a Home is a Good Investment

    An overwhelming 81% of Americans say that purchasing a home is the best long-term investment a person can make.

  • report

    Chapter 7. Ratings of World Leaders

    In most parts of the world, publics continue to express more confidence in U.S. President Barack Obama than in key European leaders tested in the survey. As in previous surveys, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is popular in European countries, but not well-known in the rest of the world. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President […]

  • report

    Japanese Resilient, but See Economic Challenges Ahead

    In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese public is resilient. Indeed, a majority believe that as a result of the disaster, Japan will become a stronger nation. And while personal pessimism about the future has crept up slightly, on balance the public’s overall sense of personal well being appears little changed by the calamitous events of 2011.

  • report

    Chapter 1. The Rift Between Muslims and the West

    Westerners and Muslims generally agree that relations between them are poor. On balance, the Western publics polled tend to say relations are bad, and the same is true among the Muslim publics in the survey, with the exception of Indonesia, where views are divided. However, Westerners are less likely to believe relations are poor today […]

  • report

    Chapter 4. Views of China

    China’s overall image is positive in most of the nations surveyed, with European views, in particular, improving over the past year. In Asia, opinion is mixed: majorities in Pakistan and Indonesia are favorably inclined toward China, while Indians tend to be uncertain about the region’s other growing economic powerhouse, and a majority of Japanese have […]

  • report

    Section 2: Candidate Traits and Experience

    Military service and past experience as a governor or a business executive are seen as positive traits for a presidential candidate. About half (49%) say they would be more likely to support a candidate who has served in the military, 37% would be more likely to support a candidate who has been a governor, and […]

  • report

    Section 3: Views of Obama

    Obama’s job approval ratings are relatively unchanged since early May. Currently, 52% approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president while 39% disapprove. As recently as early April, the public was divided (47% approved, 45% disapproved). Following a significant bump to 56% in the immediate wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, Obama’s […]

  • report

    Rising Restrictions on Religion

    The Government Restrictions Index (GRI) measures limits imposed by governments on religious beliefs and practices. The 10-point index is based on 20 questions used by the Pew Forum to gauge the extent to which governments at any level – national, provincial or local – try to control religious groups or individuals, prohibit conversions from one […]

  • report

    Why Are Gas Prices Rising? A Mix of Reasons

    As gas prices soar, many Americans pin the blame on greed or a push for higher profits among oil companies, speculators and oil-producing nations. About three-in-ten (31%) offer a variation on this theme – greed, oil companies or speculation – when asked what they think is the main reason gasoline prices have gone up recently, […]