Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
High Marks for Political Institutions The public has generally high regard for major governmental institutions – even those, like the Supreme Court and FBI – that have recently been dogged by controversy. As in the past, the U.S. military is widely popular, with better than eight-in-ten rating it favorably. Seven-in-ten have a positive impression of […]
The scheduled executions of U.S. federal prisoners for the first time in nearly four decades, as well as the recent Supreme Court decision overturning the death sentence of a mentally retarded prisoner, have once again brought debate over capital punishment into the American public square. In light of recent events, the Pew Forum on Religion […]
Washington, D.C. Discussants: Gary Bass, OMB Watch Rev. Stephen Burger, International Union of Gospel Missions Bill Faith, Ohio Coalition on Housing and Homelessness Richard Foltin, American Jewish Committee Richard G. Overmoyer, Jr., Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Darren Walker, Abyssinian Development Corporation Moderated by: Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the Pew Forum on Religion & […]
Washington, D.C. Charity Tax Credits: Federal Policy and Three Leading States, paper presented by Margy Waller, Former White House Senior Advisor for Welfare and Working Families Discussants: Mark Anderson, Arizona State Representative (R) Robert Boisture, Counsel, Independent Sector, and Member, Caplin & Drysdale Sharon Daly, Vice President for Social Policy, Catholic Charities USA Michael J. […]
Introduction and Summary Rising energy costs are having a major impact on how Americans are living their lives, affecting everything from their driving habits to the news stories they follow. More than two-thirds say they have been adjusting their thermostats to cope with soaring utility bills, and half report cutting back on driving to save […]
Rising public opposition to the death penalty has been one of the few liberal social trends in recent years. But there is some reason to wonder whether the public’s overwhelming enthusiasm for executing Timothy McVeigh will stall or possibly reverse this development. Every nationwide poll taken has found the vast majority of Americans favoring the […]
When Americans think about God, they think first and foremost about power and might. Asked to describe God in their own words, nearly four-in-ten respondents gave answers relating to God as creator, architect of the universe, almighty, or supreme power. For a quarter of Americans, their definition of God involves what God does in their […]
In general, the public is not unduly concerned over the nation’s growing religious diversity. However, certain groups are worried about a rise of secularism. More generally, there is fairly broad dissatisfaction with the way the news media and Hollywood treat religion and religious people. Less than half of Americans (45%) say the news media is […]