The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
Ahead of the nation’s birthday, Pew Research Center identified some prominent trends across key areas of American life: demographics, work, family and economics.
Economy & Work
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As Jobs Crisis Spreads, Worries Climb the Economic Ladder
Overview For the public, the continuing financial crisis has been overtaken by a jobs crisis. The proportion of Americans citing jobs or unemployment as the nation’s most important economic problem has more than quadrupled – from 10% to 42% – since early October and job worries now far surpass concerns over the financial crisis. People’s […]
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The Global Middle Class
Views on Democracy, Religion, Values, and Life Satisfaction in Emerging Nations
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Hiring Law for Groups Following a Higher Law: Faith-Based Hiring and the Obama Administration
During his 2008 presidential campaign, then-candidate Barack Obama said that he intended to overturn President George W. Bush’s policy of allowing faith-based groups that receive federal funding to consider a potential employee’s religion when making hiring decisions. Although a 1972 civil rights law generally exempts religious groups from the prohibition on religious discrimination in hiring, […]
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Income Distribution Within U.S. Religious Groups
In his Jan. 20 inaugural address, President Barack Obama said, “The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity.” Surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life find that income varies greatly within and […]
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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 […]