Leaders

reportJul 16, 2014

Surge of Central American Children Roils U.S. Immigration Debate

Survey Report As the president and Congress struggle over how to deal with the influx of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America across the U.S.-Mexican border, a new survey finds that the public favors a shift in U.S. policy to expedite the legal processing of the children. President Obama gets very low ratings for […]
reportJul 14, 2014

Global Opposition to U.S. Surveillance and Drones, but Limited Harm to America’s Image

Revelations about the scope of American electronic surveillance efforts have generated headlines around the world. A new Pew Research Center survey finds widespread decline in the view that the U.S. respects the personal freedoms of its people. But in most countries there is little evidence this opposition has severely harmed America’s overall image.
short readsJun 19, 2014

7 facts about White House press secretaries

When Joshua Earnest formally succeeds the departing Jay Carney as President Barack Obama’s chief liaison with the media, he will become the 30th presidential press secretary since the post was created 85 years ago. Here’s a look at others who held the job.
short readsJun 2, 2014

EPA to propose power plant pollution cuts, an idea the public has backed

President Obama is expected to announce a new rule cutting emissions from coal-fired power plants. A Pew Research Center survey last September found support for action to cut emissions.
short readsMay 9, 2014

Obama job ratings higher than Bush, but pale next to Bill Clinton

Obama’s job approval rating stands at 44% while Bush’s was 35% at the same point in the 2006 midterm year. Clinton’s approval rating was a solid 62% at this point in 1998.
reportMay 5, 2014

Midterm Election Indicators Daunting for Democrats

With the midterm elections six months away, Democrats are burdened by an uneven economic recovery and a stubbornly unpopular health care law. Perhaps equally important, Barack Obama’s political standing is in some respects weaker than it was at a comparable point in the 2010 campaign, which ended with the Republicans gaining a majority in the […]
reportMay 1, 2014

Is Attacking Obama’s Foreign Policy a Winning Strategy?

Some Republicans see foreign policy as a winning campaign theme given President Obama’s handling of recent international crises. But surveys suggest that may not be the case.
reportApr 22, 2014

Who Likes Web Censorship? (Ask Putin.)
short readsMar 27, 2014

Support for Obama, health care law has eroded among Hispanics

Today, as many Hispanics approve as disapprove (47%-47%) of the new health care law. That’s down markedly compared with the 61% approval just six months ago. And during the same time period, Obama’s job approval rating has slipped 15 points among Hispanics.
reportMar 21, 2014

Turkey’s Twitter Block and Global Internet Freedom

Vladimir Putin has never been a fan of a free press or open public debates, but the Ukraine crisis has provided the Kremlin with a new favorite target for cracking down even more harshly on political expression: cyberspace.