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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    Seniority

    McCain leads among voters ages 65 and older.

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    Buy American

    Out of 24 countries surveyed, Americans (53%) are the least supportive of international trade.

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    Tougher Times for the Middle Class

    Nearly eight-in-ten (79%) Americans say it is more difficult now than five years ago for people in the middle class to maintain their standard of living.

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    Confident vs. Experienced

    After the first presidential debate, the words most used to describe Obama’s performance and McCain’s were “confident” and “experienced,” respectively.

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    Pre-Palin Republican “Mommy Penalty”

    Republicans were significantly less likely to vote for a candidate who is a mother of young children than one who is a father of young children, other factors being equal.

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    Ready on Day One?

    Fewer than four-in-ten (37%) say Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as president if necessary.

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    Middle-Class Job Worries

    One-in-four middle-class workers worry that one or more negative events might affect their job status in the coming year.

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    Nothing in Particular, Religion-Wise

    The majority of the 16.1% of adults who describe themselves as unaffiliated, and 12.1% of the adult population overall, is made up of people who simply describe their religion as “nothing in particular.”