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  • fact sheet

    Stimulus Package Stimulates Church-State Debate

    The economic stimulus legislation signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama authorizes state governments to fund the “modernization, renovation and repair” of buildings on public and private college and university campuses. But the provision prevents these schools from using this funding to improve buildings that are “used for sectarian instruction or […]

  • feature

    Religious Groups Agree: Fixing the Nation’s Economy Is Job One

    In a Feb. 24 address to Congress, President Barack Obama vowed to tackle the problems at the root of the nation’s faltering economy. While there is general agreement among religious groups that strengthening the economy should be a top policy priority for the government, people of different faiths are divided in their support for addressing […]

  • report

    Truth over Happiness

    Will Americans listen only to Happy Talk from a president? Here’s what the record shows.

  • report

    Support for Stimulus Plan Slips, But Obama Rides High

    Overview After weeks of intense debate over President Obama’s economic stimulus plan, a narrow majority of Americans (51%) who have heard about the $800 billion plan say it is a good idea, while 34% say it is a bad idea. In January, the balance of opinion regarding the plan was more positive: 57% of those […]

  • report

    Economy, Jobs Trump All Other Policy Priorities In 2009

    Overview As Barack Obama takes office, the public’s focus is overwhelmingly on domestic policy concerns – particularly the economy. Strengthening the nation’s economy and improving the job situation stand at the top of the public’s list of domestic priorities for 2009. Meanwhile, the priority placed on issues such as the environment, crime, illegal immigration and […]

  • report

    Who Expects To Gain — And Lose — Under Obama

    More Americans say that people like themselves will gain influence under the Obama administration than was the case for the last two incoming presidents. Many who did not vote for Obama say this as well — including pluralities of all whites and white evangelical Christians.

  • report

    The Bad Rap on the Bailout Bill

    Members who voted against the original House bill are said to be responding to strong opposition to the rescue plan from their constituents, but that’s not what most Americans are saying.

  • report

    Small Plurality Backs Bailout Plan

    Overview As Congress debated the financial bailout bill over the past week, public support for government action has declined. A new Pew Research Center survey conducted Sept. 27-29 finds a narrow 45%-38% plurality of the public saying that a government plan to invest or commit billions of dollars to secure financial institutions is the right […]