Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Gender & LGBTQ

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Featured Publications

data essay

The Enduring Grip of the Gender Pay Gap

The difference between the earnings of men and women has barely closed in the United States in the past two decades. This gap persists even as women today are more likely than men to have graduated from college, suggesting other factors are at play such as parenthood and other family needs.


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    The Internet and Democratic Debate

    As wired Americans increasingly go online for political news and commentary, we find that the internet is contributing to a wider awareness of political views during this year’s campaign season.

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    Abortion a More Powerful Issue for Women

    Public divisions over access to abortion are long-standing, and have changed only slightly over the past two decades. Currently, 58% say they oppose making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion, while 36% are in favor of further restrictions. This is virtually unchanged from polling conducted in the early 1990s. In 1987, […]

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    The Veil Controversy: International Perspectives on Religion in Public Life

    3:30-5:30 p.m. Washington, D.C. Speakers: E.J. Dionne, Co-Chair, the Pew Forum, and Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution Raja Elhabti, Director of Research, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights Husain Haqqani, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Justin Vaisse, Affiliated Scholar, Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe E.J. DIONNE, JR.: It’s great to […]

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    Gay Marriage a Voting Issue, But Mostly for Opponents

    Summary of Findings Gay marriage has surpassed other major social issues like abortion and gun control in its influence on voters. Four-in-ten voters say they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them on gay marriage, even if they agree with the candidate on most other issues. By comparison, 34% say they would […]

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    Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality

    Introduction and Summary Opposition to gay marriage has increased since the summer and a narrow majority of Americans also oppose allowing gays and lesbians to enter legal agreements that fall short of marriage. Moreover, despite the overall rise in tolerance toward gays since the 1980s, many Americans remain highly critical of homosexuals ­ and religious […]