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Katherine Schaeffer

Former Research Analyst

Katherine Schaeffer is a former research analyst at Pew Research Center. She has a master’s degree in international development, focusing on urban affairs and planning, from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University. Prior to joining the Center, she worked as a newspaper reporter covering public education, and she still writes frequently about trends in the U.S. education system.

Publications

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short readsJul 8, 2025

9 facts about Americans and marijuana

Around nine-in-ten U.S. adults say marijuana should be legal either for medical or recreational use. Just 12% say the drug should not be legal at all.
short readsMar 12, 2025

Almost half of Americans say people have gotten ruder since the COVID-19 pandemic

Many Americans perceive a rise in rude behavior, and 34% say they see it almost always or often when they go out in public.
short readsMar 10, 2025

119th Congress brings firsts for women of color

In the Senate, two Black women are serving concurrently for the first time. And in the House, two states and one U.S. territory elected their first Black, Hispanic or Pacific Islander woman lawmaker.
short readsJan 21, 2025

119th Congress brings new growth in racial, ethnic diversity to Capitol Hill

Overall, 139 of today’s senators and representatives identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American or Native American.
short readsDec 17, 2024

Slim majorities have become more common in the U.S. House and Senate

Republicans will kick off the 119th Congress with the smallest margin of control in the U.S. House of Representatives in modern history.
short readsNov 14, 2024

1 in 10 Americans rarely or never drive a car

Among U.S. adults, those who live in the Northeast (17%) are more likely than those in the South (10%), West (8%) and Midwest (7%) to be nondrivers.
short readsNov 1, 2024

17 states haven’t had a female U.S. senator, and 18 haven’t had a woman governor

Five races for U.S. Senate and two for governor feature a major-party nominee who, if elected, would be the first woman in their state to hold the office.
short readsSep 24, 2024

Key facts about public school teachers in the U.S.

Here are key facts about the 3.8 million public school teachers who work in America’s classrooms and how they view their jobs.
short readsSep 19, 2024

1 in 10 eligible voters in the U.S. are naturalized citizens

Naturalized citizens make up a record number of eligible voters in 2022, most of whom have lived here more than 20 years.
decodedSep 11, 2024

Pew Research Center’s tips for journalists covering polls – during election season and beyond

We’ve compiled some tips for journalists who use polling in their work during election season and beyond.