Two decades after the end of communist rule, Eastern Europeans have largely embraced democratic values. Most want civil liberties, competitive elections and other tenets of democracy. However, throughout the region there is a significant gap between what people want and what they have, as relatively few believe the elements of democracy that they prize actually […]
Looking back at the profound political changes that took place 20 years ago, most Eastern Europeans express support for the switch to a multiparty system. However, enthusiasm for democracy has waned considerably in several countries. More than a third in Bulgaria, Russia and Hungary now say they disapprove of the change. In Ukraine, a majority […]
Two-Thirds of World Population Lives Under High Levels of Constraints Washington, D.C.—In a new report measuringinfringements on religious beliefs and practices around the world, thePew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life finds thattwo-in-three people in the world today live in countries with highlevels of restrictions on religion. The report gauges the level ofrestrictions […]
The public and members of the Council on Foreign Relations cite the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as the most important international problem facing the United States. Yet the two groups differ over the importance of other issues, most notably Pakistan: 18% of CFR members view Pakistan as America’s top international problem, compared with just […]
Publics of former Iron Curtain countries generally look back approvingly at the collapse of communism. Majorities in most former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries endorse the emergence of democracy and capitalism. However, the initial enthusiasm about these changes has dimmed in most of the countries surveyed.
A vote in Switzerland to ban the construction of Muslim minarets and controversies over global warming research led conversations in the blogosphere last week. On Twitter, it was a story about a local billboard campaign with unintended consequences. And on YouTube, a pop singer made her second appearance in recent weeks.
The structure of the Internet Respondents were asked to explain their choice and “note organizations you expect to be most likely to influence the future of the Internet and share your view of the effects of this between now and 2020.” A number of respondents pointed out that some of the key issues related to […]
Conclusion Our findings suggest that the extent of social isolation in America is not as high as has been reported through prior research. Today, the number of Americans who are truly isolated is no different, or at most is only slightly higher than what it was 30 years ago. Few people have no one with […]
