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

    Hispanics See Cell Phone as a Necessity

    Nearly six-in-ten (59%) of all Hispanic adults in this country consider the cell phone a necessity, rather than a luxury, compared with fewer than half of non-Hispanic whites (46%) and non-Hispanic blacks (46%), a Pew survey finds.

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    Love That Dog!

    That’s the percentage of of dog owners who say they consider their pet to be a member of their family, according to a Pew Research Center survey. And most cat owners (78%) feel the same way.

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    Hold Favorable View of Republican Party

    That’s the percentage of US adults who now say they hold a favorable view of the Republican Party, down 15 points since January 2001.

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    Black College Grads Online

    That’s the percentage of black college graduates who access the internet — the highest proportion of any demographic group recorded in a recent Pew survey.

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    The Importance of Being Christian

    Nearly four-in-ten Americans (39%) say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who is “Christian,” the second most positive trait tested, behind only “military service” (48%).

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    States Suspending Executions

    That’s the number of states that have suspended executions because of questions over lethal injection, the primary method of execution in 37 of the 38 states that have retained the death penalty — only Nebraska still uses the electric chair.

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    Improved Family Finances in 2007

    That’s the number of Americans who think their family finances will improve at least some (57%) or a lot (10%) over the coming year.

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    Hispanic Employment

    That’s the number of Hispanic workers employed in the US labor market in 2006, a year where there was strong growth in Hispanic employment.

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    Most Optimistic Homeowners

    That’s the portion of U.S. homeowners who expect the value of their home to go up “a lot” in the future. But another 55% still expect their home values to rise at least “a little.”