As Supreme Court defers affirmative action ruling, deep divides persist
While Americans overwhelmingly agree that society should ensure equal opportunities for all, the divide over affirmative action programs remains as wide as ever.
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Drew DeSilver
Senior Writer/Editor
Drew DeSilver is a senior writer at Pew Research Center.
Publications
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Ahead of same-sex marriage decisions, what you need to know
The Supreme Court is expected to rule imminently on two laws seeking to block same-sex marriage — the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8. Here’s a summary of major findings related to the issue.
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Young Americans and privacy: ’It’s complicated’
Despite their “share everything” image, privacy still matters for young American adults. But they distinguish between information they voluntarily share on social-networking sites and systematic monitoring by government agencies of telephone and internet traffic. In response to revelations last week that the NSA is conducting such surveillance of Americans, government officials told Congress this week that […]
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For religious LGBT adults, more commitment sometimes brings more conflict
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults are generally less religious than U.S. society as a whole, a recent Pew Research Center survey found. About half (51%) declare any religious affiliation at all, versus close to eight-in-ten U.S. adults; about a fifth (17%) are both religiously affiliated and say religion is very important in their lives, […]
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Chart of the Week: The landscape of food assistance
A chart based on American Community Survey data shows how unevenly food stamp recipients are distributed across the country.
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Ellen DeGeneres is the most visible gay or lesbian public figure in America
More than anyone else, Ellen DeGeneres is the face of LGBT America. Still. That’s the verdict of two new Pew Research Center surveys, one of the general U.S. population and the other of LGBT Americans specifically. Not only was the comedian and television host by far the most frequently cited example of a gay or […]
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The “been down so long it looks like up” economy
Fewer than one in five Americans rate the U.S. economy as “excellent” or “good”
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5 facts about fathers
For newer Pew Research Center findings on fathers, click here. The Census Bureau estimates that last year there were about 189,000 stay-at-home dads, defined as married fathers with children younger than 15 who stayed out of the labor force for at least one year primarily to care for the family while their wife works outside the […]
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Shop online? Many teens do it, but more prefer the store
American teens have long been the country’s most-wired age group. But contrary to the stereotype of hyper-connected teens, they say some things are better done in person.
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Chart of the Week: Newspaper circulation around the world
Journalists and print loyalists who are dejected about the state of the U.S. newspaper business may be comforted — or perhaps made a bit envious — by the knowledge that in at least some other countries, newspaper circulation continues to rise smartly. The chart below, from The Economist’s Graphic Detail blog, uses data from the World Press […]