Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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The biggest religion stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news.
Overview Americans who have heard about the sexual harassment allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, on balance, think they are true rather than false. At the same time, a plurality thinks that recent coverage of Cain has been fair. Three-quarters of the public say they have heard a lot (51%) or a little (24%) […]
According to a survey of professional prison chaplains, America’s state penitentiaries are a bustle of religious activity. Chaplains say that efforts by inmates to convert other inmates are common and that at least some religious switching occurs. And chaplains overwhelmingly consider religion-based programming an important aspect of rehabilitating prisoners.
The Court’s Unanimous Decision On Jan. 11, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in a significant church employment dispute, giving religious organizations wide latitude in hiring and firing clergy and other employees who perform religious duties. In its unanimous decision, the high court explicitly recognized a legal doctrine known as the “ministerial exception.” Lower courts […]
Support for democracy is widespread in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed. Majorities or pluralities in the seven nations say democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, and many increasingly believe that a democratic government, rather than a strong leader, can best solve national problems. When asked to choose between a good democracy and […]
Egyptians are optimistic about the future of their country. More than twice as many say they are satisfied with the way things are going in Egypt as did so a year ago; and while ratings of economic conditions remain negative, most now say they expect the economy to improve over the next 12 months. When […]
This report is based on findings from seven surveys conducted in the summer and early fall of 2011. Tablet Owner Phone Surveys The overall portrait of tablet computer users among the general public is based on aggregated data from five telephone surveys conducted on landlines and cell phones June 30-July 31, 2011 with national samples […]