Social Issues Low on Voters’ Minds in 2012
Although it has been a contentious issue in many states, just 28% of voters view gay marriage as a very important issue.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Although it has been a contentious issue in many states, just 28% of voters view gay marriage as a very important issue.
Nearly three quarters (72%) of adults say they closely follow local news and information, and local newspapers are by far the source they rely on for much of the local information they need.
About half (48%) of students who took out college loans say that paying them back has made it harder to make ends meet after they left school.
College remains a near universal aspiration in this country, even in the face of steeply rising costs. Among parents of a child ages 17 or younger, 94% say they expect their child (or children) to attend college.
More than four-in-ten Americans (43%) view the increase in intermarriage as a societal change for the better, while about one-in-ten (11%) hold the opposite view. The rest of the public says it doesn’t make a difference.
A 56% majority of the public disapproves of the health care law’s requirement that all individuals have health insurance or face a penalty; 41% approve of the mandate. The Supreme Court begins hearing arguments on the law today.
About two-thirds (68%) of internet users disapprove of search engines and websites tracking their online behavior for the purpose of ad targeting.
Nearly a quarter of Egyptians (23%) say they have used social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to obtain news about their country’s political situation.
College presidents and the public differ on the value of online learning. The school presidents predict that a decade from now, most students will take classes online.
At a time when women surpass men by record numbers in college enrollment and completion, they also have a more positive view than men about the value higher education provides.
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