Politics & Policy

reportJun 10, 2026

Our typology sorts the public into nine groups based on their political and cultural values, not their party – painting a picture of American politics with far more than two colors.

Quiz: Where do you fit in the political typology?

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reportAug 29, 2012

Determining Who Is a ’Likely Voter’

Scott Keeter, director of survey research, explains why pollsters switch from registered voters to likely voters in their samples as Election Day nears, and how the Pew Research Center determines who is likely to vote.
reportAug 27, 2012

Does World Want Romney or Obama?

At the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, Americans will notionally be choosing their candidates for president of the United States. The world’s citizens get no say in this choice. Nevertheless, people outside the U.S. have definite opinions about Obama and some of the key issues in the campaign.
reportAug 24, 2012

Political Party Quiz: How We Placed You

The Political Party scale was determined by selecting a set of questions from the Pew Research Center’s 2012 American political values survey representing a range of political values that are each consistently associated with party identification.
short readsAug 24, 2012

Independents Give Low Ratings to Ryan, But Are More Negative on Biden

A plurality of independents (42%) rate Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate “only fair” or “poor,” but even more rate Joe Biden’s performance negatively.
reportAug 23, 2012

The Master Character Narratives in Campaign 2012

On the eve of the conventions, the portrayal in the news media of the character and records of the two presidential contenders in 2012 has been as negative as any campaign in recent times, and neither candidate has enjoyed any advantage over the other.
reportAug 22, 2012

The Complicated Politics of Abortion

Abortion has emerged as an issue in the 2012 presidential race, following Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin’s controversial comments about abortion and “legitimate rape.” In recent years, narrow majorities of the public have consistently said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The Democratic Party is widely favored over the GOP […]
reportAug 21, 2012

Medicare Voucher Plan Remains Unpopular

Overview Paul Ryan’s selection to the Republican ticket has put the issue of Medicare squarely on the 2012 campaign agenda. And the latest Pew Research Center survey continues to find the public is aware of a proposal to gradually shift Medicare to a system of vouchers and is, on balance, more opposed than supportive of […]
reportAug 15, 2012

How the Presidential Candidates Use the Web and Social Media

On the eve of the conventions, Barack Obama holds a distinct advantage over Mitt Romney in the way his campaign is using digital technology to communicate directly with voters. The Obama campaign is posting almost four times as much content and is active on nearly twice as many platforms, according to a new study analyzing the content and volume of candidate communications on their websites and social media channels.
short readsAug 14, 2012

Deepening Divide Between Republicans and Democrats Over Business Regulation

There is a 35 point gap between Republicans who believe that government regulation of business usually does more harm than good and the number of Democrats who share that view.
reportAug 13, 2012

Older Americans Have Been Highly Resistant to Medicare Changes

Older Americans are wary of changes to Medicare. Compared with younger people, they are more positive about the way the program operates, less apt to think that changes are needed and far less disposed towards Paul Ryan’s proposal to reshape Medicare. A Pew Research survey in May of 2011 found that those 65 and older […]

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Signature Reports

reportApr 9, 2024

Amid shifts in demographics and partisan allegiances, registered voters are now evenly split between the Democratic Party and the GOP.

reportSep 19, 2023

Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative, with little hope of improvement on the horizon. 65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. By contrast, just 10% say they always or often feel hopeful about politics.

reportNov 9, 2021

Pew Research Center’s political typology provides a roadmap to today’s fractured political landscape. It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. Even in a polarized era, the 2021 survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions.

reportDec 17, 2019

Partisanship remains the strongest factor dividing the American public. Yet there are substantial divisions within both parties on fundamental political values, views of current issues and the severity of the problems facing the nation.