Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Home Research Topics Other Topics Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities

Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities

All

Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities

Publications

  • report

    China Seen Overtaking U.S. as Global Superpower

    The United States continues to receive positive ratings in much of the world, but it faces the new challenge of doubts about its superpower status. Publics around the world increasingly believe that China either will replace or already has replaced the U.S. as the world’s leading superpower.

  • report

    Obama and Bachmann Drive Economic and Election Coverage

    The stalemate over deficit reduction and the entry of another candidate into the crowded 2012 presidential race made the economy and election the two leading stories last week. Meanwhile media attention to Afghanistan fell dramatically, highlighting the episodic and uneven coverage of that decade-old conflict.

  • report

    Economy, Afghanistan Top News Interest, Coverage

    Overview Americans focused most closely last week on news about the nation’s struggling economy and President Obama’s plans to draw down U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Two-in-ten (20%) say the economy was their top story, while 16% say they followed the discussions in Washington about troop levels in Afghanistan more closely than any other top story, […]

  • report

    Little Change in Views of Obama’s Approach for Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal

    Following Barack Obama’s June 22 speech about the Afghanistan war, there has been little change in public opinion about the president’s plans for drawing down the number of U.S. combat troops in that country. As in early March, a plurality (44%) says they think Obama will remove troops at about the right pace. About three-in-ten […]

  • report

    Afghanistan War Jumps Back into Headlines

    Though the economy topped the mainstream news agenda, Obama’s troop drawdown announcement gave Afghanistan its biggest week of coverage in a year. And while mainstay subjects—the campaign and the Mid-East—continued to make news, the surprise arrest of one of the FBI’s most wanted dominated the end of the week.

  • short reads

    Wars Caused Federal Debt

    Far more Americans say wars in Iraq and Afghanistan contributed to the national debt than say the same about government spending or tax cuts.

  • report

    U.S. Image in Pakistan Falls No Further Following bin Laden Killing

    America’s image among Pakistanis remains poor, and most disapprove of the U.S. raid that killed bin Laden. Extremist groups also remain unpopular, although support for using the Pakistani military against extremists has waned. Most name India as the top threat to Pakistan. Overall, the public mood in Pakistan is grim – 92% are dissatisfied with the country’s direction.

  • report

    Record Number Favors Removing U.S. Troops from Afghanistan

    Overview As President Obama prepares to announce his policy for drawing down U.S. forces in Afghanistan, the percentage of Americans who favor removing the troops as soon as possible has reached an all-time high in Pew Research Center surveys. For the first time, a majority (56%) says that U.S. troops should be brought home as […]