Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Search results for: “partisan divide”

Refine Your Results

  • report

    More See White House and GOP Leaders at Odds

    Overview Americans are in an increasingly sour mood about Washington. Barack Obama’s approval ratings continue to inch downward and a growing proportion of Americans (63%) think that the president and Republican leaders are not working together to deal with important issues facing the nation; in June, 50% said the two sides were not cooperating. While […]

  • report

    Chapter 1. The Battle Against Extremism

    Pakistanis remain concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism in their country and around the world, and views of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban have grown more negative since last year. In addition, a growing percentage of those who think there is a struggle between groups who want to modernize Pakistan and […]

  • report

    Section 4: The Court and the Congress

    Half of the public (50%) says that the Senate should confirm Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter. By contrast, only a quarter (25%) says the Senate should not confirm the federal appeals court judge from New York, while another quarter (25%) did not express an opinion. Sotomayor has strong […]

  • report

    Chapter 2. Views of President Barack Obama

    U.S. President Barack Obama is popular in nations across much of the world. This is especially true in Western Europe, although he also receives extremely high ratings in countries such as Canada, Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, Kenya and Nigeria. In most predominantly Muslim nations surveyed, there is less enthusiasm for the new president, with […]

  • report

    Cockeyed Optimists or Self-Fulfilling Prophets?

    Even while their personal worries have deepened, Americans have been feeling more upbeat about the national economy’s prospects and less concerned about rising inequality. What underlies this trend and can it be sustained?

  • report

    Section 3: Foreign Policy and National Security

    In the aftermath of North Korea’s nuclear test in late May, an increasing proportion of Americans view North Korea’s nuclear program as a “major threat.” Currently, 72% say North Korea’s nuclear program is a major threat to the well-being of the United States, up from just 53% in January. Somewhat more Americans (78%) view Islamic […]

  • report

    Section 2: The Policy Agenda

    A month after President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill, most Americans (56%) express a positive view of the nearly $800 billion package. Slightly more than a third (35%) says the legislation is a bad idea. In early February, the Pew Research Center asked a similar question only of those who said they had heard […]

  • report

    Romney’s Image Improves; Palin Well Regarded by Republican Base

    Overview Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has seen his favorability ratings improve and now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public: 40% rate him favorably, 28% unfavorably. This marks a reversal of opinion from February 2008, during the latter stages of the GOP primary campaign, when just 30% viewed him favorably and […]

  • report

    Section 1: Obama and the Economy

    While the public’s overall approval of the president has shifted little over the last few months, assessments of Barack Obama’s handling of the economy are now less positive than they were in mid-April. A slim majority (52%) continues to give Obama high marks for his handling of the economy (compared with 60% in April); four-in-ten […]

  • report

    Section 2: Opinions About Health Care

    As health care reform legislation moves forward in Washington, the political environment is somewhat different than the last time a major overhaul of the health care system was attempted sixteen years ago. In early 1993 the sense of a health care crisis was far more widespread than it is today – a 55% majority in […]