Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Short Reads

Short-form data and analysis from Pew Research Center writers and social scientists. To view all our reports and publications, visit our main Publications page.

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  • short reads

    Unemployment Ain’t All Bad

    Close to half of all Americans who spent some time unemployed during the recession say they enjoyed not having to work for a while.

  • short reads

    Obama, Race and Media Coverage

    Race-related themes were present in 9% of all Obama administration news coverage from early 2009 to early 2010.

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    Henry Louis Gates: Top Black Media Story

    Nearly one-fifth of all coverage studied during the year relating to African Americans had to do with the arrest of and controversy surrounding Henry Louis Gates.

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    Latino Digital Divide

    Native-born Hispanics are far more likely to use the internet (85%) than are foreign-born Hispanics (51%).

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    Was TARP Passed Under Bush or Obama?

    Just a third of Americans know that the bank bailout was enacted by the Bush administration; nearly half incorrectly say it was passed under President Obama.

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    Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall?

    Nearly one-in-ten Americans incorrectly identify former Justice Thurgood Marshall as the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

  • short reads

    Still the Land of Prosperity

    Despite the continuing economic downturn, by a two-to-one margin, Americans believe their country will continue to be prosperous and make economic progress.