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

    Cohabitation a Step Toward Marriage?

    Among Americans who have ever lived with an unmarried partner, nearly two-thirds say they thought about it as a step toward marriage.

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    The Class-Based Marriage Gap

    In 2008, a 16-percentage-point gap separated marriage rates of college graduates (64%) and of those with a high school diploma or less (48%).

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    Déjà Vu: Deficit Concerns

    More than three-fourths of Americans saw the federal budget deficit as a threat to the recovering economy … in 1983. Then, as now, there was far less agreement about what to do about it.

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    Marriage Is Obsolete

    Nearly four-in-ten survey respondents say that marriage has become obsolete as an institution in American life.

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    Optimistic about Future of Marriage

    Despite large changes in family structure and formation rates, the public maintains a strongly positive view about marriage and the family.

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    Very Satisfied with Family Life

    Three-quarters of adults say they are very satisfied with their family life; 19% are somewhat satisfied.

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    Pocket-Sized Politics

    About a quarter of Americans used their cell phones to learn about or participate in the 2010 midterm election campaign.

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    Boomers and Social Change

    Members of the Baby Boom generation align more closely with younger generations than with older ones on most social issues.

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    Boomer Gloom

    Fully 80% of Baby Boomers say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.