Recent Publications

PewResearch.org features major reports, data-driven commentary and analysis, news stories, transcripts and presentations on trends in public opinion and related policy issues in the Pew Research Center's areas of special concentration: U.S. public opinion, global attitudes, the news media, the impact of the internet on American life, the role of religion in public life, the changing experiences of Hispanics in America and social and demographic trends.

When the material resides on project sites, summaries appear on the PewResearch.org site, with links to the full documents on the particular project web site. The archive of past reports and other features include material posted directly on pewresearch.org beginning in February 2006. Complete lists of all project reports and other features, including archives of material released prior to February 2006, can be found on the individual project websites.

Ask the Expert: The Forces at Work in the 2012 Elections
21 Feb 12Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, answers questions about the 2012 presidential campaign so far and some of the trends that will shape this year’s congressional elections.
Pew Research Center

Public More Optimistic about Economy, But Concerns Persist
Obama, Economy Now Better Rated by Independents
16 Feb 12Optimism about the national economy has rebounded in the first two months of this year after sagging in 2011. The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press also finds an uptick in Barack Obama's job rating.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Rise of Intermarriage
Rates, Characteristics Vary by Race and Gender
16 Feb 12Marriage across racial and ethnic lines continues to be on the rise in the United States. The share of new marriages between spouses of a different race or ethnicity increased to 15.1 % in 2010, and the share of all current marriages that are either interracial or interethnic has reached an all-time high of 8.4%.
Social & Demographic Trends

Public Takes Tough Line on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Support for Obama’s Afghan Troop Pullout
15 Feb 12Nearly six-in-ten Americans say it is important to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, even if it means taking military action. Just 30% say it is more important to avoid a military conflict with Iran.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Divided Over Birth Control Insurance Mandate
Religious, Partisan and Gender Differences
14 Feb 12Americans 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.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Ask the Expert: Public Opinion About the U.S. and China
13 Feb 12Richard Wike, Associate Director of the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, answers questions about public opinion at home and abroad regarding China and the United States.
Pew Research Center

Santorum Catches Romney in GOP Race
Obama Leads Both in General Election Matchups
13 Feb 12Rick Santorum’s has pulled into a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination in polling conducted Feb. 8-12. Barack Obama holds sizable leads over Santorum, Romney and Newt Gingrich in general election matchups.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Digital Advertising and News
Who Advertises on News Sites and How Much Those Ads Are Targeted
13 Feb 12Although revenue from digital advertising in the U.S. is expected to grow significantly in the next few years, major news organizations still face challenges in trying to harness that trend and ensure their financial futures as audiences continue to migrate online.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Young, Underemployed and Optimistic
Coming of Age, Slowly, in a Tough Economy
9 Feb 12A plurality of the American public believes that young adults are having the toughest time of any age group in today’s economy -- and a lopsided majority says it’s more difficult for today’s young adults than it was for their parents’ generation to pay for college, find a job, buy a home or save for the future. But long-term economic optimism among young adults remains unscarred.
Social & Demographic Trends

The Tone of Life on Social Networking Sites
9 Feb 12An overwhelming majority (85%) of the adults who use social media report that people are usually kind on the sites. At the same time, 49% have witnessed mean and offensive behavior and they usually respond by ignoring it.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Cable Leads the Pack as Campaign News Source
Twitter, Facebook Play Very Modest Roles
7 Feb 12Cable news is now the top regular source for campaign news. The long-term decline in the number of Americans getting campaign news from local and network TV news, and local newspapers, steepened this year. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are used for campaign news by a relatively limited audience.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Why Most Facebook Users Get More Than They Give
3 Feb 12Most Facebook users receive more from their Facebook friends than they give, whether the measurement is the number of friend requests received, the use of the "like" button, the number of messages sent or tagging people in photos. The phenomenon is driven by a segment of "power users."
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Trends in Party Identification of Religious Groups
Jewish Support for GOP Rises
2 Feb 12The share of voters identifying with or leaning toward the GOP has either grown or held steady in every major religious group, according to a new analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Low-Income Republicans Say Government Does Too Little for Poor People
2 Feb 12Mitt Romney’s emphatic statement that he is focused solely on the problems of middle class Americans, not the poor, may not sit well with most of the lower income voters within his own party.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Religion and the 2012 Florida Republican Primary
1 Feb 12In his commanding win in the 2012 Florida Republican primary, Mitt Romney received strong support from Catholics and from voters who do not describe themselves as white born-again/evangelical Christians, according to results from the National Election Pool exit poll.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

GOP Voters Continue to Give Field Subpar Ratings
30 Jan 12Republicans remain unimpressed with their party’s presidential field. More than half (52%) rate the candidates as only fair or poor. More voters also say Barack Obama understands the problems of average Americans than say so about Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Rise of In-Store Mobile Commerce
30 Jan 12Just over half of adult cell owners used their phone while they were in stores during the 2011 holiday shopping season to call friends for advice on a purchase or to check product reviews and prices being offered elsewhere.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

It's About Fairness, Not Class Warfare
27 Jan 12Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut writes in the New York Times while Americans are hearing more and more about class conflict, there is little indication that they are increasingly divided along these lines. Their concerns are about policies that give everyone a fair shot.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Hispanics Say They Have the Worst of a Bad Economy
26 Jan 12A majority of Latinos (54%) believe that the economic downturn that began in 2007 has been harder on them than on any other ethnic group in America.
Pew Hispanic Center

Gingrich and Romney Both Face Mixed Portrayal
24 Jan 12As Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney took their battle for the Republican presidential nomination to Florida for its Jan. 31 primary, both of them arrive in the state with portrayals in the news media that are almost equally mixed
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Latinos in the 2012 Election: Florida
Factsheet
23 Jan 12Latinos now make up 13.1% of the Florida's 11.2 million registered voters. Democrats account for 564,513 Latino registered voters while 452,619 Latino voters are Republicans.
Pew Hispanic Center

Public Priorities: Deficit Rising, Terrorism Slipping
Tough Stance on Iran Endorsed
23 Jan 12As the State of the Union approaches, the economy continues to be the public's top priority. Fully 86% say that strengthening the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress this year, and 82% rate improving the job situation as a top priority.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tablet and E-Book Reader Ownership Nearly Double Over the Holiday Gift-Giving Period
23 Jan 12The share of adults in the United States who own tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19% between mid-December and early January and the same surge in growth also applied to e-book readers, which also jumped from 10% to 19% over the same time period.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Economy Fades as Election Intensifies
19 Jan 12The weakening economy was the most-covered news story in 2011, but it has now been overtaken by coverage of the presidential campaign.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Obama: Weak Job Ratings, But Positive Personal Image
Michelle Obama’s Popularity Undiminished
19 Jan 12Barack Obama begins his fourth year in office facing a struggling economy, an unhappy public, and a lower job approval rating than most of his recent predecessors at a comparable point in their presidencies. However, Obama he still possesses a positive personal image with voters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign 2012: Too Negative, Too Long, Dull
‘Bain Capital’ Story Seen as Important
18 Jan 12Half of Americans say the presidential campaign has been too negative and 55% of the public describe the 2012 contest so far as dull. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) describe the campaign as dull.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Campaign 2012 and the Media
The Storyline Heading into South Carolina
18 Jan 12After winning the first two nominating contests, Mitt Romney is getting more negative news coverage heading into Saturday's South Carolina primary than he has at any time so far in the GOP race, according to the first edition of an ongoing analysis of election news by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Unpopular Nationally, Romney Holds Solid GOP Lead
Paul Polls at 18% as Third-Party Candidate
18 Jan 12Mitt Romney maintains a substantial lead nationally in the race for the GOP nomination. Yet his image among all voters has slipped since November and he runs no better in a general election matchup with Barack Obama than he did back then.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Super PACs Having Negative Impact, Say Voters Aware of ‘Citizens United’ Ruling
17 Jan 12Most voters who are aware of the 2010 Supreme Court decision allowing corporations and individuals to spend as much money as they want on political advertising say the impact has been negative.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Few GOP Voters Would Be Swayed by Endorsements
13 Jan 12Political endorsements by prominent Republicans would provide little help for GOP candidates in the primaries and might be more of a liability than a benefit in a general election campaign.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Many Voters Unaware of Basic Facts about GOP Candidates
12 Jan 12Many voters do not know basic facts about the Republican candidates running for president or the early primary calendar, such as where Mitt Romney served as governor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mormons in America
Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society
12 Jan 12A new nationally representative survey focused exclusively on Mormons explores their religious beliefs and practices, political ideology, views on moral and social issues, and attitudes toward faith, family life, the media and society.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Real Time Charitable Giving
Why Mobile Phone Users Used Text Messages to Contribute to Haiti Earthquake Relief
12 Jan 12A survey of individuals who sent a contribution to Haiti earthquake relief using the text messaging feature on their mobile phones explores who these mobile givers are, what other types of mobile contributions they have undertaken, and how they perceive mobile giving in comparison to other types of charitable contributions.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Religion and the 2012 New Hampshire Republican Primary
11 Jan 12 Mitt Romney -- who won the overall New Hampshire vote by a double-digit margin -- was the winner among born-again evangelical Christians as well as among non-evangelical voters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Rising Share of Americans See Conflict Between Rich and Poor
11 Jan 12A new Pew Research Center survey finds that two-thirds of the public believes there are “very strong” or “strong” conflicts between the rich and the poor -- an increase of 19 percentage points since 2009.
Social & Demographic Trends

GOP Voters Still Unenthused About Presidential Field
Romney Ahead Nationally, Santorum Gains Ground
9 Jan 12Republican voters continue to express mixed views of the party's presidential field. Roughly half (51%) of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say the candidates are excellent or good, while 44% say they are only fair or poor. Mitt Romney holds a sizable lead in the race for the GOP nomination.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

U.S. Foreign-Born Population: How Much Change From 2009 to 2010?
9 Jan 12A new Pew Hispanic Center analysis of Census Bureau data shows the foreign-born population in the U.S.—39.9 million in 2010—is 1.6% greater than it was in 2009, markedly lower than the reported increase of 4%. The new growth estimate stems from the Center’s revisions to the 2009 Census data.
Pew Hispanic Center

Continued Majority Support for Death Penalty
More Concern Among Opponents About Wrongful Convictions
6 Jan 12Public opinion about the death penalty has changed only modestly in recent years, but there continues to be far less support for the death penalty than there was in the mid-1990s.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Six Telling Findings from the Iowa Caucuses
4 Jan 12The Iowa caucuses produced six small but significant indicators of the dynamics that drove the race.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

News Coverage Index: The Santorum Surge Story Comes True
4 Jan 12In the days before Iowans finally caucused, the news media were most focused on the shifting horse race that foreshadowed Rick Santorum's strong late showing, according to an analysis of the leading themes in the Iowa press narrative by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Little Change in Public's Response to 'Capitalism,' 'Socialism'
A Political Rhetoric Test
28 Dec 11The recent Occupy Wall Street protests have focused public attention on what organizers see as the excesses of America's free market system, but perceptions of capitalism -- and even of socialism -- have changed little since early 2010 despite the recent tumult.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

As Deportations Rise to Record Levels, Most Latinos Oppose Obama’s Policy
President’s Approval Rating Drops, but Obama Has a Big Lead over 2012 GOP Rivals
28 Dec 11Latinos disapprove by a margin of more than two-to-one of the way the Obama administration is handling deportations of unauthorized immigrants, according to a new national survey of Latino adults by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.
Pew Hispanic Center

The Civic and Community Engagement of Religiously Active Americans
23 Dec 11Religiously active Americans are more tied to many civic and other organizations than non-religious Americans. Many report that their use of technology helps them in their group activities.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Women in the U.S. Military: Growing Share, Distinctive Profile
22 Dec 11The number of women serving on active duty in the military has risen dramatically since the all-volunteer force was established in 1973. A new Pew Research Center study profiles the women who serve and looks at some of the ways they differ from men in the service.
Social & Demographic Trends

The Year in the News 2011
Coverage of Economy and International News Jump in a Year of Major Breaking Stories
21 Dec 11This year, the faltering U.S. economy was the No. 1 story in the American news media, but 2011 was also characterized by a jump of more than a third in coverage of international news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

In 2007, Mood Just Beginning to Sour, Democrats Better Regarded
Public Opinion Four Years Ago
20 Dec 11As another presidential election year approaches, the political and economic landscape has changed in a number of ways since four years ago. The public’s mood was not very good, but still a lot better than it is today.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tax System Seen as Unfair, in Need of Overhaul
Wealthy Not Paying Fair Share Top Complaint
20 Dec 11Public dissatisfaction with the tax system has grown over the past decade, and the focus of the public’s frustration is not how much they themselves pay, but rather the impression that wealthy people are not paying their fair share.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Texting, Social Networking Popular Worldwide
20 Dec 11Two kinds of digital communication that have grown increasingly popular in the United States -- sending text messages and using social networking sites -- are also popular around the world.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Global Christianity
A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Christian Population
19 Dec 11Christians make up about the same proportion of the world's population today as they did a century ago, but there has been a momentous shift in where they live.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Frustration with Congress Could Hurt Republican Incumbents
GOP Base Critical of Party’s Washington Leadership
15 Dec 11Public discontent with Congress has reached record levels, and the implications for incumbents in next year’s elections could be stark. The Republican Party is taking more of the blame than the Democrats for a do-nothing Congress.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press