Following Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin's controversial comments about abortion, our summary looks at previous public opinion reports on abortion among Democrats and Republicans and in the campaign.
See the latest Pew Research Center reports and data on views toward abortion in the United States and around the world.
Opinions about a pair of contentious social issues, gun control and gay marriage, have changed substantially since previous presidential campaigns. On gun control, Americans have become more conservative; on gay marriage, they have become more liberal.
Americans are closely divided over whether religiously-affiliated institutions should be given an exemption if they object to a proposed federal rule requiring employers to cover birth control as part of their health care benefits.
