Key facts about Americans and guns
Six-in-ten U.S. adults say gun violence is a very big problem in the country today, up 9 percentage points from spring 2022.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Six-in-ten U.S. adults say gun violence is a very big problem in the country today, up 9 percentage points from spring 2022.
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
Most Asian Americans say violence against them is increasing, and most also worry at least some of the time about being threatened or attacked.
Currently, 55% of U.S. adults express at least some support for the Black Lives Matter movement, unchanged from a year ago.
Americans are closely divided over whether people convicted of crimes spend too much, too little or about the right amount of time in prison.
Social hostilities around the world involving religion declined in 2019 to the lowest level in five years.
While declining shares give police forces positive marks for their use of force, treatment of racial groups and officer accountability, there is little support for cuts in spending on local policing.
The U.S. is seen positively in advanced economies for its technology, entertainment, military and universities, but negatively for its health care system, discrimination and the state of its democracy.
The public is more likely to have heard “a lot” about ongoing confrontations between police and protesters than several other stories.
Abortion has risen as an election issue for Latinos, with a majority saying it should be legal in all or most cases. Meanwhile, 80% say the economy is a very important issue when deciding who to vote for in the upcoming congressional midterm elections, a greater share than any other issue.
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