Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty for Those Convicted of Murder
While 68% see the death penalty as morally justified for those committing murder, 59% say it doesn’t deter serious crimes – and there are wide partisan gaps on both questions.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Andy Cerda
Research Analyst
Andy Cerda is a research analyst focusing on politics at Pew Research Center.
Publications
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report
As the 2026 Midterms Approach, Economy Is Front and Center
Americans are now almost evenly split over which party they most agree with on economic policies: 37% say the Democrats, while 36% say the GOP.
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report
Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology
Our typology sorts the public into nine groups based on their political and cultural values, not their party – painting a picture of American politics with far more than two colors.
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short reads
10 facts about Americans and marijuana
Nearly nine-in-ten U.S. adults say marijuana should be legal either for medical or recreational use. Just 11% say the drug should not be legal at all.
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report
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips
A majority of Americans (56%) say the overall level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen over the course of Trump’s term.
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short reads
Top tax frustrations for Americans: Feeling that some wealthy people, corporations don’t pay fair share
61% of adults say that the feeling that some wealthy people don’t pay their fair share bothers them a lot. 60% say this about some some corporations.
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report
Majority of Americans Continue To Say Abortion Should Be Legal in All or Most Cases
A 60% majority of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. This share is down slightly from the last few years.
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report
A Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Americans’ Views of the Economy Remain Negative
Most Americans continue to hold negative views of the U.S. economy, as has been the case for the last six years.
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short reads
Majorities of Americans say it’s important to talk about the country’s historical successes and failures
Wide majorities of Republicans and Democrats alike view both the positive and negative aspects of the nation’s history as important to focus on.
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report
A Year Ahead of the Midterms, Americans’ Dim Views of Both Parties
Democrats’ frustration with their own party is up sharply, as many say it hasn’t pushed back hard enough against Trump and the GOP. In contrast, 40% of Republicans say they are frustrated with their party.
