Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

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.

Icon for promotion number 1

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings

Thank you for subscribing!

  • short reads

    Political Theater

    Fully 78% of campaign coverage in early 2008 focused on political tactics.

  • short reads

    Chinese Officials Interested in Religion

    About a third of Chinese government workers and Communist Party officials expressed interest in access to information on religion, the highest level of interest by any occupational group in a 2005 Intermedia survey.

  • short reads

    Chinese Believers in Supernatural

    A 2005 Pew Research survey found that approximately three-in-five Chinese express a personal belief in the possible existence of one or more supernatural phenomena, religious figures or supernatural beings that are often associated with Confucianism and popular forms of Chinese folk religion.

  • short reads

    Three’s a Crowd?

    A majority of voters want a third political party.

  • short reads

    Quick Study

    Voters give Obama’s campaign higher marks than McCain’s.

  • short reads

    Interest Gap

    Democrats are following campaign news more closely than are Republicans.

  • short reads

    Religious in China

    According to a Pew Global Attitudes survey, 31% of the Chinese public considers religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, compared with only 11% who say religion is not at all important.

  • short reads

    Swingers

    Nearly half of independents (46%) are undecided or may change their minds.