Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Politics & Policy

Icon for promotion number 1

Sign up for our politics newsletter

Our latest politics data every month

Thank you for subscribing!

All

Politics & Policy

Publications

Refine Your Results

  • report

    Obama Motivates Supporters, Opponents in Early 2012 Matchups

    Overview Barack Obama is a leading driver of voter preferences in possible 2012 matchups, among both his supporters and opponents. Currently, Obama is running a close race in hypothetical matchups against Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. Against both GOP candidates, most of Obama’s supporters view their vote as a vote for the president, while most […]

  • report

    GOP Candidates Hardly Household Names

    Overview As in previous Republican presidential campaigns, most Americans (54%) are able to name at least one of the GOP candidates unprompted. However, smaller percentages name the leading candidates than in previous Republican races. Just 28% name Texas Gov. Rick Perry and 27% name former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. At this point in the race […]

  • report

    War and Sacrifice in the Post-9/11 Era

    As the U.S. marks the 10th anniversary of the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, the vast majority of veterans of the post-9/11 era are proud of their military service and say it has helped them mature as human beings.

  • presentation

    Social Media and Civic Life

    Director Lee Rainie presented findings from Pew Internet about the role of the internet, cell phones, and social media on civic life.

  • report

    Obama Draws More Confidence than GOP Leaders on Deficit

    Overview As the nation prepares for another round of deficit reduction debates, the public’s confidence in congressional leaders, particularly Republican leaders in Congress, has plummeted. Jus t 35% say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in Republican leaders in Congress to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with […]

  • report

    Public Opinion on the Death Penalty

    A 2010 Pew Research Center survey found that most Americans (62%) continue to express support for the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, while 30% oppose it. This is nearly identical to the level of support in 2007 but somewhat lower than earlier in the 2000s and especially the 1990s.

  • report

    Ask the Expert

    Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.

REfine Your Selection

Signature Reports

report

Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics

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.

report

Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology

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.

Features