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short readMar 3, 2025

The 119th Congress is the most racially and ethnically diverse in history, and it includes the nation’s first openly transgender legislator at the federal level.

short readMar 10, 2025

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3, 2025, the first day of the 119th Congress. Alsobrooks is one of two Black women currently serving in the Senate. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

In the Senate, two Black women are serving concurrently for the first time. And in the House, two states and one U.S. territory elected their first Black, Hispanic or Pacific Islander woman lawmaker.

reportJan 2, 2025

Members of the incoming 119th Congress will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3, 2025. (Cynthia Johnson/Getty Images)

Christians will make up 87% of voting members in the Senate and House of Representatives, combined, in the 2025-27 congressional session.

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short readsSep 10, 2013

Can presidential speeches change minds? The evidence suggest not

The presidency may well be a “bully pulpit,” in Theodore Roosevelt’s original sense, a position that commands attention. But as President Barack Obama prepares to address the nation Tuesday in support of taking military action against Syria, there’s little evidence (at least in recent times) that presidential speeches are very effective at moving the needle […]
short readsSep 4, 2013

Most members of Congress have little direct military experience

Veterans make up a smaller share of Congress than at any time in the past five decades.
reportJul 23, 2013

Many Say Economic Recovery Is Still a Long Way Off

Overview Four years after the recession officially ended, the economic recovery remains a long way off in the view of many Americans. A new survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted July 17-21 among 1,480 adults, finds that 44% say it will be a long time before the nation’s economy recovers. Smaller percentages say either […]
short readsJul 22, 2013

The public’s predictions on immigration, gun control bills this year

There’s a pretty good chance that immigration legislation will become law this year. The prospects for enacting a gun control bill are not nearly as promising, according to the American public.
short readsJun 19, 2013

What Americans really want from their lawmakers

Americans often say they want their representatives in Congress to put the country’s needs over local concerns. But four novel experiments suggest that the public does just the opposite. In a new study, respondents rated a member of Congress far more favorably if the lawmaker put the interests of his or her district or state […]
reportApr 24, 2013

Mixed Reactions to Senate Gun Vote

Overview The key Senate vote that halted gun control legislation last week is drawing a mixed reaction from the American public: 47% express negative feelings about the vote while 39% have a positive reaction to the Senate’s rejection of gun control legislation that included background checks on gun purchases. Overall, 15% say they are angry […]
reportFeb 21, 2013

If No Deal is Struck, Four-in-Ten Say Let the Sequester Happen

Overview After a series of fiscal crises over the past few years, the public is not expressing a particular sense of urgency over the pending March 1 sequester deadline. With little more than a week to go, barely a quarter have heard a lot about the scheduled cuts, while about as many have heard nothing […]
reportJan 31, 2013

Majority Says the Federal Government Threatens Their Personal Rights

Overview As Barack Obama begins his second term in office, trust in the federal government remains mired near a historic low, while frustration with government remains high. And for the first time, a majority of the public says that the federal government threatens their personal rights and freedoms. The latest national survey by the Pew […]
reportNov 16, 2012

Faith on the Hill: The Religious Composition of the 113th Congress

The newly elected 113th Congress includes the first Buddhist to serve in the Senate, the first Hindu to serve in either chamber and the first member of Congress to describe her religion as “none.” While Congress remains majority Protestant, the institution is far less so today than it was 50 years ago.
reportJan 19, 2012

Obama: Weak Job Ratings, But Positive Personal Image

Overview Barack Obama begins his fourth year in office facing a struggling economy, an unhappy public, and a lower job approval rating than most of his recent predecessors at a comparable point in their presidencies. In fact, Obama’s job rating today is a bit more negative than it was in December: 48% disapprove of his […]