Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality
29 June 09 Getting old isn't nearly as bad as people think it will be. Nor is it quite as good. On aspects of everyday life ranging from mental acuity to financial security, a new Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey finds a sizable gap between expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and actual experiences reported by older adults themselves.
Political Values and Attitudes: 1987-2009
Independents Take Center Stage in the Obama Era
21 May 09 Centrism has emerged as a dominant factor in public opinion with Republicans and Democrats even more divided, and substantially more identifying as independents. The growing political middle is steadfastly mixed in its beliefs about government, the free market and other values.
Use an interactive graphic at people-press.org to track trends in party affiliation going back 70 years.
Different Ages, Different Downturns
Not Your Grandfather's Recession -- Literally
14 May 09 Relatively speaking, older Americans' attitudes and lifestyles have been less affected by the economic slump than have those of younger Americans. Meantime, the "Threshold Generation," people nearing retirement, have been hardest hit, as they’ve seen their nest eggs shrink the most.
Recession-Era Reevaluation
Luxury or Necessity?
23 April 09 From the kitchen to the laundry room to the home entertainment center, Americans are paring down the list of familiar household appliances they say they can't live without.
Flag-Flying Patriots
Over 90% of Americans say they are "very patriotic" and many display Old Glory as a symbol of that belief. Who does--and who doesn't--fly the flag?
Being Dad Tougher These Days
How are fathers faring in this brave new world of changing diapers and driving carpools? Verdict is mixed but moms are their biggest fans.
Reluctant Suffragettes
Reluctant SuffragettesAn 86-year-old poll sheds light on why female Americans were slow to appreciate the hard-fought battle for access to the ballot box.
Obama's Favorite Theologian? Here's a Short Course on Reinhold Niebuhr
26 June 09 Find out why it may be that the president once described the famous philosopher as among his favorites.
The Perils of Polling Election '08
25 June 09 Despite such challenges as a growing cell phone-only population, possible racially-related response bias and greater-than-usual difficulties in forecasting turnout, polllsters' methods were evidently adequate to the task.
Poll Watch: Stimulus vs. Deficits
24 June 09 The public rates both economic stimulus and federal budget balancing as priorities, but which is rated more highly is clearly affected by how the question is worded.
So Who's Your Favorite Republican Leader?
24 June 09 While Sarah Palin is a GOP favorite, it is Mitt Romney who now enjoys a positive balance of opinion among the general public.
One-in-Six Americans are Baptists
23 June 09 Baptists, who will hold two major conventions this month, are the largest U.S. Protestant denomination.
Can Science and Religion Co-Exist?
22 June 09 A geneticist and a journalist question whether the bitter conflict between religious fundamentalism and scientific theory is truly irreconcilable.
Obama's High Marks Hold
18 June 09 A solid majority continues to approve of the president's performance, but they express mixed views of several of his policies. Only about one-in-five Americans (21%) say the U.S. is less safe from terrorism under the Obama administration than under the Bush administration.
Economy Watch
More Optimism, Not More Spending
19 June 09 Americans are increasingly upbeat about the economy and their own finances but that hasn't prompted them to open their wallets.
Off Base or Self-Fulfilling Prophets?
17 June 09 Personal worries persist, but Americans are feeling more upbeat about the economic outlook and less concerned about rising inequality. What underlies this trend and can it be sustained?
Home Broadband Adoption
17 June 09 Strong growth among seniors and rural residents pushed the number of Americans with high-speed internet connections to 63%, up from 55% in 2008. But African Americans experienced their second year of below-average broadband adoption growth.
The State of Music Online: Ten Years after Napster
15 June 09 As the music industry has struggled to convert freeloaders into paying customers, their efforts have been watched closely by other digitized industries.
Recession Pounds States' Budgets
15 June 09 Stateline.org's legislative review finds budgets in such dire straits that they are closing prisons in Colorado and Kansas, raising taxes on the rich in New York and even taxing bourbon in Kentucky -- and the worst is yet to come.
The Social Life of Health Information Online
11 June 09 While most Americans still turn to a doctor, a growing number research and discuss wellness issues online. Fully 61% have used the internet for health info -- up from 25% in 2000 -- and most report positive experiences. More adults are also turning to the Web for fitness and exercise information.
Gen Next Squeezed By Recession, But Most See Better Times Ahead
5 June 09 Younger Americans are more liberal in views of government and traditional values than older generations. A new analysis also finds evidence of increased political engagement in the aftermath of the election.
Faithful Marriage
5 June 09 Buddhists and the religiously unaffiliated are the most likely to marry outside their own faith, while Mormons and Hindus are the least likely.
Public Backs Affirmative Action,
But Not Minority Preferences
2 June 09 Americans reject the use of preferential treatment, but there is broad support for programs aimed at helping blacks and women gain access to better jobs and education.
Rethinking Retirement
28 May 09 In a recession that has taken a heavy toll on many nest eggs, just over half of all working adults ages 50 to 64 say they may delay their retirement.
Latino Children in Profile
28 May 09 Hispanics now make up 22% of all children under the age of 18 in the U.S. -- up from 9% in 1980 -- and as their numbers have grown, their demographic profile has changed.
Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion
20 May 2009 It remains unclear how churches, religious charities and schools might be affected by new laws that require equal treatment for same-sex marriages.
In a Word ... Obama
7 May 09 An interactive graphic shows how perceptions of the president have changed over the past few months.
That's the percentage of Americans who said in a 2007 poll that they completely agree with the statement "I am patriotic," a decline from the near-record 56% who said so in August 2003. Read moreNew Media Index
Neda, Jackson Grip Blogosphere
2 July 09 In life, they had little in common, but their deaths became the latest demonstration of the power, both emotional and political, of the many-to-many nature of social media.
News Interest Index
Too Much Michael?
1 July 09 The 'King of Pop' topped news interest but nearly two in three said Jackson's death got too much coverage.
News Coverage Index
From Protests to Pop
30 June 09 The media swung their attention from protests in Iran to Michael Jackson's death, pausing at Gov. Sanford and Farah Fawcett along the way.
Test Your News IQ
Take our quiz about prominent people and major events in the news. Then see how you did in comparison with 1,000 randomly sampled adults.
Internet Typology: How Mobile R U?
Users of communication technology range from "Digital Collaborators" and "Media Movers" to "Tech Indifferents" and "Off the Network." Take the quiz to find out which group you're in.
on pewinternet.org
How Does Your Community Stack Up?
Rate your community as a place to live, then compare your responses to those from our national survey. on pewsocialtrends.org
American Mobility
Texas is the nation's "stickiest" state and Nevada is the most "magnetic," according to a Pew Social & Demographic Trends mapping analysis. Explore migration flows within the U.S through interactive maps featuring detailed regional and state data.
on pewsocialtrends.org
Couples Quiz
Who calls the shots in your household? Many people still say it's a man's world, but in many typical American families, it's the woman who wears the pantsuit. Take our Couples Quiz to find out where you fit.
on pewsocialtrends.org
Latinos by Geography
A series of interactive maps and data bases at pewhispanic.org provide details about the changing Latino population and demographic information about the Latino population in each of the nation's 50 states and 3,141 counties.
on pewhispanic.org
U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
An extensive survey details the religious makeup, beliefs and practices of the American public. This online feature includes dynamic tools -- maps, graphs and charts.
on pewforum.org
Mapping World Opinion
An interactive feature developed by the Associated Press allows users to check out key findings about views of America and the U.S. election in countries around the world.