Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Americans have long been comfortable with religion having a role in politics. A sizable majority continues to say it is important for the president to have strong religious beliefs. And a majority says they are not bothered when politicians talk about their religion. At the same time, however, there is widespread opposition to churches and […]
Asian Americans, as a whole, are more politically liberal than the general public and tilt more toward the Democratic Party than toward the Republican Party. But Asians who are evangelical Protestants tend to favor the GOP, and they are more likely than other Asian-American religious groups overall to say they are politically conservative. Asian Americans’ […]
A Third of Adults Under 30 Are Unaffiliated; U.S. Protestant Population Dips Below 50% Washington, D.C. – A new report from the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life shows that the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion is growing at a rapid pace. About one-fifth of the U.S. […]
Only About Half Identify Obama as Christian Washington,D.C. – Mostvoters continue to say it is important for a president to have strong religiousbeliefs. But voters have limited awareness of the religious faiths of both MittRomney and Barack Obama. And there is little evidence to suggest that concernsabout the candidates’ respective faiths will have a meaningful […]
The proportion of Americans who favor gay marriage has increased by 21 points since 1996, from 27% to 48%. Over this period, opposition has fallen from 65% to 44%. Strong support for gay marriage now equals strong opposition (22% strongly favor, 23% strongly oppose). As recently as four years ago, twice as many strongly opposed […]
The following list includes brief descriptions of some religious groups and other terms used in the survey report that may be unfamiliar to readers. Related to Buddhism Jodo Shinshu Meaning “True Pure Land School,” Jodo Shinshu is a Japanese branch of Mahayana Buddhism. Shinran, a disciple of the Buddhist monk Honan, established the branch, which […]
Obama Endorsement Has Limited Impact Washington, D.C. – Reports that the Democratic Party may add support for gay marriage to its party platform are in keeping with a significant shift of opinion on this issue among Democrats nationwide. Just four years ago, in 2008, only half (50%) of Democrats favored allowing gays and lesbians to […]
Religiously unaffiliated Americans tend to be, almost by definition, less religious than Americans who belong to a religious tradition. In Pew Research Center surveys, the unaffiliated are less likely than the general public as a whole to say that religion is very important in their lives, to attend worship services regularly and to pray on […]
Reports that the Democratic Party may add support for gay marriage to its party platform are in keeping with a significant shift of opinion on this issue among Democrats nationwide. A new report finds that support for same-sex marriage among Democrats has jumped from 50% in 2008 to 65% today.
President Obama’s statement on May 9 that “same-sex couples should be able to get married” garnered significant public and media attention. Reports about Obama’sendorsement of gay marriage accounted for 14% of major news organizations’ coverage over the course of that week, equal to the amount of coverage given to the election contest and nearly double […]