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  • transcript

    Religious Voters in the Pennsylvania Primary

    The Pennsylvania primary looms large in the tight contest for the Democratic nomination. In an interview with Pew Forum Associate Director Mark O’Keefe, Senior Fellow John Green explains why the connections that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama make – or fail to make – with the state’s religious voters could have major consequences on April […]

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    The Supreme Court Considers New Case on Capital Punishment

    On April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute that allows for the death penalty in cases involving child rape. More specifically, the court will determine whether the law violates the U.S Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishments.” The case, […]

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    Pope Benedict’s Papacy Still Coming Into Focus for Americans

    As Pope Benedict XVI prepares to introduce himself to the U.S., a new Pew Forum survey shows that many Americans know very little about him. Pew Forum Director Luis Lugo and Associate Director Mark O’Keefe discuss the survey results in the context of previous findings and compare the favorability ratings of Pope Benedict XVI with […]

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    On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans

    Navigate this report: John Paul II Better Known, Better Liked Interfaith Relationships Partisans Differ in Views of the Pope About the Survey Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is […]

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    On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans

    Summary of Findings Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is virtually unchanged from August 2007 (50%). However, the pope remains unfamiliar to a relatively large number of Americans: Three-in-ten […]

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    Courting Catholics in 2008

    The presidential candidates have recently intensified their efforts to woo Catholic voters, underscoring the election-year significance of this key swing constituency. Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green discusses Catholic voting trends in past elections, the challenges facing the campaigns as they reach out to Catholics and how the church’s growing Hispanic population may impact future […]

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    An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate

    Updated Nov. 21, 2008 In this article: The Debate Begins The Goodridge Case and Its Aftermath The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late 2003 when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social […]

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    The Pope Comes to America

    Washington, D.C. Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the U.S. as pontiff comes amid a turbulent election year. He has planned stops at the White House, the U.N. and the Sept. 11 “Ground Zero” site. How should we assess the first three years of Pope Benedict’s papacy? How has the global role and influence of […]

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Signature Reports

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Line chart showing U.S. religiousness has been fairly stable since 2020

Religion Holds Steady in America

Analysis of our polls and other data shows no clear evidence of a religious revival among young adults. Read more about religiousness by age and gender.

data essay

Key Findings From the Global Religious Futures Project

The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.