Americans view this shutdown much as they did past ones – negatively and with much anxiety
No matter who they blamed for previous government shutdowns or how much they felt personally affected by them, most Americans have had negative opinions about them.
Democratic and Republican House members on average represent similar numbers of federal workers
Many federal workers live and work far from D.C., with substantial numbers in districts scattered across the country – and represented by both Democratic and GOP members of Congress.
5 facts about the religious makeup of the 116th Congress
The new Congress is slightly more religiously diverse than its predecessor, but it remains overwhelmingly Christian.
Faith on the Hill
The new, 116th Congress includes the first two Muslim women ever to serve in the House of Representatives, and is, overall, slightly more religiously diverse than the prior Congress.
House Republicans who lost re-election bids were more moderate than those who won
Among GOP House incumbents who lost their re-election campaigns, 23 of 30 were more moderate than the median Republican in the chamber.
Millennials, Gen X increase their ranks in the House, especially among Democrats
The 2018 midterm elections significantly boosted the number of Millennials and Generation Xers in the lower chamber.
A look at voters’ views ahead of the 2018 midterms
With this year’s midterm elections just a week away, here are some key findings from Pew Research Center surveys over the past several months about some of the dynamics and issues shaping the battle for Congress.
Republicans and Democrats are optimistic about the future of their parties as midterms near
Three-quarters of Republicans say they are optimistic about the future of the Republican Party. Democrats have a similarly bright outlook for their party.
Turnout in this year’s U.S. House primaries rose sharply, especially on the Democratic side
Turnout in this year's primaries for Congress and most state governorships surged compared with the last midterms in 2014, particularly among Democrats. Nearly a fifth (19.6%) of registered voters – about 37 million – cast ballots in primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives – a 56% increase over the 23.7 million who voted in 2014's House primaries. Turnout that year was 13.7% of registered voters.
APSA conference roundup: Research on political polarization on social media and the U.S. Congress
The ways that social media shape political attitudes and the intricacies of lawmaking in Congress were two of many topics at the APSA annual conference.
