Nearly six in ten Americans (58%) say we should pay less attention to problems overseas and instead concentrate on problems here at home, while 33% say it is best for the future of our country to be active in world affairs.
Nearly half of Americans (47%) say that Wall Street hurts the U.S. economy more than it helps, while 38% say it helps more than hurts; 15% offer no opinion.
The American public is closely divided on the question of whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry legally, with 46% opposing same-sex marriage and 45% supporting it. Those divisions extend to groups within the Republican and Democratic coalitions.
Americans are now almost evenly divided on the question of legalizing same-sex marriage. Opposition to same-sex marriage has fallen from 65% in 1996 to 46% in 2011 while 45% favor legalizing it.
Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.
A majority (55%) of Americans say the government is almost always wasteful and inefficient; half prefer a smaller government that provides fewer services.