The Center & Its Projects
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues. Its work is carried out by these eight projects:
The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
This is an independent public opinion survey research project that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. It is best known for regular national surveys that measure public attentiveness to major news stories, and for polling that charts trends in values and fundamental political and social attitudes.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
The Project for Excellence in Journalism is a research organization that specializes in using empirical methods to evaluate and study the performance of the press.
Stateline.org
Stateline.org is an online news source that reports each weekday on state government, tracking and analyzing policy trends in the 50 states. In addition to offering free access to staff-generated news stories, Stateline.org links to hundreds of daily newspaper articles and provides statistical data for state-by-state comparisons.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Pew Internet Project conducts original research that explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. It seeks to be an authoritative source for timely information on the internet's growth and societal impact.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
The Pew Forum seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. It functions as a clearinghouse by gathering and disseminating information through polls and reports, and it also provides a neutral venue--through its issue roundtables--for discussions of timely issues regarding religion and public life.
Pew Hispanic Center
The Pew Hispanic Center's mission is to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation. The Center conducts social science research, including economic, demographic and public opinion studies.
Pew Global Attitudes Project
Since it began in 2001, the Pew Global Attitudes Project has conducted a series of worldwide public opinion surveys on an array of subjects, from people's assessments of their own lives to their views on the current state of the world and important issues of the day.
Social & Demographic Trends
The Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis.
A "Fact Tank"
Through these eight projects, the Center provides facts and data that help inform the national dialogue. Unlike many think tanks, the Center does not make policy recommendations. As the Center's President, Andrew Kohut, said when the group was launched in 2004, "It's more a 'fact tank' than a think tank. It's a new kind of Washington organization that collects information and disseminates it in an understandable and analytical way, rather than producing expert opinion on policy subjects." The Center's work is often cited by policy-makers, journalists and academics, as well as advocates from across the political spectrum.