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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

    Losing Ground Financially

    Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58%) now say that their incomes are falling behind the rising cost of living, compared with just 44% who expressed this view in September 2007.

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    Where’s Waldo?: Look Online

    Half of adult internet users say they think it would be “pretty easy” for someone to find them based on the information available about them online.

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    Republicans’ Concern About Lobbyists Rises

    Reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in Washington is now a much higher priority among Republicans than it was a year ago; roughly four-in-ten Republicans (42%) currently rate such efforts a top priority, up from 28% in January 2007.

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    U.S. Muslims Prefer Democrats

    That’s the percentage of Muslim Americans who say they are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party.

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    50 Cent Takes a Rap

    Only 17% of African Americans view gangsta rapper 50 Cent as a “good influence,” by far the lowest approval rating accorded any on a list of black newsmakers in a recent Pew survey.

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    African Americans View the Future

    Fewer than half of all African Americans (44%) now say they think life for blacks will get better in the future, down from the 57% who said so in a 1986 survey.

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    Gen Nexters Embrace Evolution

    That’s the number of 18-25 year olds who say that humans and other living things evolved over time; only 33% say all living creatures have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.

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    A Widening Hardship Gap

    The gap between the wealthiest and poorest people in affording basic items is much wider now than it was during the 1992 economic downturn; more than six-in-ten (62%) self-described “working class” people now say their incomes are falling behind the cost of living

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    US: Castro Was Bad for Cuba

    Fully two-thirds of Americans (66%) think that Fidel Castro, who resigned as president of Cuba this week, has been bad for his country.

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    Praying Every Day

    Six-in-ten Muslim Americans (61%) say they pray every day, somewhat fewer than the 70% of U.S. Christians who say they pray daily.