Political Issues

short readsMar 28, 2014

Lower support for death penalty tracks with falling crime rates, more exonerations

Over the past half-century, public support for the death penalty has generally tracked increases and declines in rates of violent crime.
reportMar 28, 2014

Shrinking Majority of Americans Support Death Penalty

According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 55% of U.S. adults say they favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder. A significant minority (37%) oppose the practice.
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.
short readsMar 26, 2014

Kaiser poll: Many Americans were unaware of health care law deadline

While most Americans know that the ACA law includes fines for those who do not buy coverage, Kaiser found that just 39% of the uninsured were aware of the Monday deadline. About four-in-ten (43%) said they didn’t know the deadline (or refused to answer), 13% believed it was sometime after March and 5% were under the impression it had already passed.
short readsMar 25, 2014

After Hobby Lobby, a nonprofit legal challenge to the contraception requirement

Even though the two cases heard by the Supreme Court involve for-profit businesses, the rulings in Hobby Lobby and Conestoga on the contraceptive requirement could impact subsequent cases involving nonprofits like Little Sisters of the Poor.
short readsMar 24, 2014

5 questions about the Hobby Lobby case and contraceptive coverage

A Q & A about the two related cases that will be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday involving a challenge to regulations in the Affordable Care Act requiring many employers to include free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees’ health insurance plans.
reportMar 20, 2014

ACA at Age 4: More Disapproval than Approval

Survey Report As the four-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, the law remains unpopular with the public. Currently, 53% disapprove of the 2010 health care law while 41% approve of the law. Opinion of the measure is virtually unchanged since last September. However, the new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted […]
fact sheetMar 20, 2014

Health Care Law’s ‘Contraception Mandate’ Reaches the Supreme Court

On March 25, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases challenging regulations arising from the Affordable Care Act. Both cases involve for-profit businesses whose owners object – for religious reasons – to free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees’ health insurance plans.
short readsMar 19, 2014

Religious police found in nearly one-in-ten countries worldwide

As of 2012, at least 17 nations have police that enforce religious norms. Religion police forces are most common in the Middle East and North Africa, and are also found in the Asia-Pacific and in sub-Saharan Africa.
reportMar 19, 2014

Keystone XL Pipeline Divides Democrats

While Republicans and independents continue to favor constructing the Keystone XL pipeline, Democrats are divided. Opposition to the pipeline is most widespread among highly educated Democrats, liberals and Democrats with high family incomes.