Political Attitudes and Values

While partisans agree that political leaders should be honest and ethical, they differ over whether particular leaders display these traits.

Americans have mixed expectations for 2019. As has been the case since Trump’s election, Republicans are more optimistic than Democrats.

Only a third of Venezuelans trust their national government. Venezuelans’ evaluations of their national economy have worsened since 2013.

On a number of issues, Catholic partisans often express opinions more in line with their political parties' positions than with their church's teachings.

Many Americans say their family is OK with talking about politics when they gather, and a majority has at least some common ground politically with family.

Over the past two years, Americans have become more likely to say it is “stressful and frustrating” to have political conversations with those they disagree with. The change in opinions has come largely among Democrats: 57% now say that talking about politics with people they disagree with is stressful and frustrating, up from 45% two […]

They tend to be more left-leaning, more progressive in their social and political views, more receptive to immigrants and more favorable toward the European Union. They are also more mixed in their views of traditional center-left parties than older Western Europeans.

In the nearly two years since the 2016 presidential election, Americans’ views of the seriousness of several national problems have changed, with concerns about drug addiction, college affordability, sexism and racism on the rise.

Aside from voting, relatively few people take part in other forms of political and civic participation. But a 14-country survey finds that some could be motivated to participate on issues like health care, poverty and education.

Today, 58% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.