Complete Archive of 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 policy trends throughout the fifty states.

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.

The Widening Gap
9 May 08While Barack Obama's appeal to the young coincides with their increasing Democratic alignment, older voters do not show the greater allegiance to the GOP that might explain their relative reluctance to support him.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Race Factor Redux
8 May 08While the outcome of the North Carolina primary fit into a racial pattern observed in earlier primaries this year, Clinton’s showing in Indiana was less strong than would have been expected.
Pew Research Center

A Statistical Portrait of Hispanic Women in the U.S.
8 May 08Annual births to Hispanic women in the U.S. exceeded one million in 2006, and one-in-four children in the U.S. under age 5 is Hispanic These and other interesting data are included in a new Pew Hispanic Center fact sheet.
Pew Hispanic Center

Pocketbooks Top Politics
8 May 08The presidential campaign once again was the most heavily covered story of the week, accounting for 38% of all news coverage. The public, however, was more interested in rising gas prices and the economy, both topics that received far less media coverage.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Daily Show: Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs?
8 May 08An examination of whether America’s 4th-ranked journalist, Jon Stewart, is really the host of a news program.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

An Increase in GOP Doubt About Global Warming Deepens Partisan Divide
8 May 08The proportion of Americans who say that the earth is getting warmer has decreased modestly since January 2007, mostly because of a decline among Republicans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Religion in China on the Eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics
7 May 08A watching world may find religious belief unexpectedly widespread in a communist country.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Hard Hats See Hard Times
Today's worries about the state of the job market are far more heavily concentrated in the lower portions of the income spectrum.
7 May 08While the latest statistics reported fewer job losses than analysts expected, the public is expressing increasing concern about job availability; but unlike in the 1992 downturn, such worries are concentrated in the lower portions of the income spectrum.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Pope's Visit Draws Heavy Media Coverage
6 May 08The relationship between the relatively new pope and the hurting U.S. church was the primary story line in news reports of the pontiff's visit.
Project for Excellence in Journalism and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Will States Fix the 2012 Primary Process?
6 May 08Not a moment too soon, party insiders and state election officials are in informal talks to improve procedures for the next contest for the White House.
Stateline.org

The Wright Stuff: Obama's Pastor Corrals Campaign Coverage
6 May 08Last week, as Obama's controversial minister re-emerged into full public view, the controversy he generated made more news than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Pope Benedict's Image Improves Following U.S. Visit
6 May 08Currently, 61% of Americans say they have a favorable impression of the pontiff, up from 52% in late March, while views of his outreach to other faiths have also shown substantial improvement.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

All the World’s a Stage
5 May 08Iraq, the war on terrorism, support for Israel and other key features of U.S. foreign policy continue to generate animosity toward America in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere. On the bright side, America seems to be winning the battle of ideas on some important fronts and improving U.S. image problems is not impossible.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Two Perspectives on Gay Marriage
5 May 08To explore the issues raised by same-sex marriage, the Pew Forum interviewed former Sen. Rick Santorum, who opposes gay marriage, and journalist Jonathan Rauch, who argues in its favor.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Democratic Campaign Taking a Toll on Both Obama and Clinton
McCain Stays Under the Radar
1 May 08In four separate surveys conducted since March 20, when asked about each of the Democratic candidates, between 25%-31% of the public has said their opinions have recently become less favorable.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama's Lead Over Clinton Disappears; Unfavorables Rise for Both Candidates
More Democrats See Unresolved Contest As Problem for Party
1 May 08Barack Obama's slipping support for the Democratic nomination reflects a modest decline in his personal image rather than improved impressions of Hillary Clinton. Both retain advantage over McCain as economy tops public's concerns.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Who Wants To Be Rich?
The Currently Hard-Pressed Put a Higher Personal Priority on Being Wealthy than Do the Well-to-Do
30 Apr 08Anyone who thinks that Americans worship at the feet of the almighty dollar should ask the American public. In fact, a new Social Trends survey finds only 13% of adults say it's "very important" for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured.
Social & Demographic Trends

Justices' OK for Indiana's Voter ID May Prompt Other States to Follow Suit
29 Apr 08With bills pending in state legislatures across the country, more states may move to require photo identification for voters in November.
Stateline.org

Democrats Division Unites Media
Post-Pennsylvania Spin Drowns Out McCain
29 Apr 08The week of the Pennsylvania primary ended with the prospect of a longer, tougher contest and with the volatile issue of race again occupying a prominent place in the media narrative.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Gen Dems: The Party's Advantage Among Young Voters Widens
28 Apr 08Trends in the opinions of America's youngest voters are often a barometer of shifting political winds. And that appears to be the case in 2008. Use the interactive tool to track generational differences in party affiliation over time.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama's Catholic Voter Problem?
25 Apr 08Hillary Clinton won the Catholic vote in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary by more than a two-to-one margin, repeating a pattern among religious voters similar to those seen in other states. Does this have implications for the May 6 contests in Indiana and North Carolina?
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Courts Not Silent on Moments of Silence
24 Apr 08An Illinois statute, now on temporary hold by a U.S. District Court, has given rise to the latest in a long line of constitutional cases involving required moments-of-silence in public schools.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Turf Wars: A Fight Over Fake Grass
24 Apr 08Debates in a handful of states really are pitting those who back the artificial variety of turf against supporters of natural grass for playgrounds and athletic fields.
Stateline.org

More Americans View Campaign As Too Negative
Obama's "Bitter" Comment Registers Widely
24 Apr 08Barack Obama's 'bitter' comment registered widely but just 29% of Americans say they paid very close attention to news about the presidential campaign last week, the lowest percentage recorded since December 2007.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Writing, Technology and Teens
24 Apr 08Most teenagers spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they don’t regard most of the material they create electronically as real writing. Does e-communication help – or hurt – students’ writing skills?
Pew Internet & American Life Project

So, Just How Different Is Rupert Murdoch’s New Wall Street Journal?
23 Apr 08A Project for Excellence in Journalism content study finds that, to date, the newly staked out battleground between the Journal and Times seems to be located mostly on the playing field of politics.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Debatable Campaign Coverage
22 Apr 08Last week, a major part of the media narrative about the 2008 campaign involved the media themselves -- specifically ABC’s moderators for the April 16 debate in Philadelphia.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

How Different Are People Who Don’t Respond to Pollsters?
21 Apr 08Survey research firms face increasingly high non-completion rates. Analysis based on extra efforts to reach non-responders finds few differences between the responses of the easy- and hard-to-reach.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

The ‘Evidence for Belief’: An Interview with Francis Collins
17 Apr 08In an interview, Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian argues that advances in science present “an opportunity for worship,” rather than a catalyst for doubt.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Less News is Good News for McCain
49% Say Network News Anchors Are All About the Same
17 Apr 08While McCain has been consistently less visible to the public, far more Americans say the news they have been hearing about him is generally positive than say the same about coverage of Obama or Clinton.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

No Clear Advantage
17 Apr 08Electability is an issue, and one that both Obama and Clinton are likely to use to woo the superdelegates. But our polling suggests that neither candidate has a demonstrable advantage to tout.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

You're Laid Off
A Worsening Economy Couldn't Come at a Worse Time for Many U.S. Workers
16 Apr 08At a time when the U.S. economy is faltering, one out of every seven U.S. workers -- especially those who have already hit hard times in the recent past -- fear they will be laid off in the next 12 months.
Social & Demographic Trends

Network News Signing Off?
Many Journalists See Uncertain Future For Nightly TV Broadcasts and Fault Current Coverage
15 Apr 08Speculation over Katie Couric’s future as anchor of the CBS Evening News has raised the broader question of how long the three nightly network news broadcasts will be able to survive.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

McCain Doesn't Get Most Exposure, But Can't Be "Bitter" About Media
15 Apr 08Renewed attention to Iraq benefited the GOP candidate, while Democrats seemed caught up in a game of gaffe ping-pong, with the media eagerly keeping score.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Where Trust is High, Crime and Corruption are Low
Since Communism's Fall, Social Trust Has Fallen in Eastern Europe
15 Apr 08A Pew Global Attitudes survey finds that social trust varies greatly among countries, but high levels are generally linked to positive social outcomes.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

States Push Food Stamps for the Needy
14 Apr 08As the economy sputters, states are taking extraordinary measures to help people keep food on the table, and a federal program is their primary tool.
Stateline.org

Help from Hugo Chavez: Free Heating Oil for Needy U.S. Families
14 Apr 08Close to 200,000 poor families in 15 cold-weather states can thank Venezuela's controversial president for helping them heat their homes this winter.
Stateline.org

Religious Voters in Pennsylvania
11 Apr 08Connections that Clinton, Obama and McCain make -- or fail to make -- with the state's religious voters could have major consequences on April 22 and November 4.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
10 Apr 08The controversy ignited by the Massachusetts High Court ruling allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry continues to rage in state courts and legislatures as well as in churches across the nation.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Campaign News Interest Dips
Awareness of U.S. War Fatalities Rebounds
10 Apr 08With the campaign in a lull, interest, which had consistently surpassed previous presidential contests, is now comparable to the level measured in April 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life
9 Apr 08A new Pew Social Trends study finds that fewer Americans now than at any time in the past half century believe they're moving forward in life. But at the same time, two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had.
Social & Demographic Trends

Clinton Punches, Obama Bowls, McCain Reminisces
8 Apr 08Obama attracted the most coverage, McCain's bio tour earned him headlines, but Clinton generated the clearest story line with her "Rocky" reference.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

That's What I Like About Me
7 Apr 08Obama's high favorable ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. Clinton's image, in contrast, is driven by opinions about her own qualities.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

On the Court's Docket: Child Rape and the Death Penalty
7 Apr 08Is capital punishment for child rapists constitutional? On April 16, the Supreme Court will hear arguments pro and con. A legal expert discusses possible outcomes and implications of the case.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Most Americans Unfamiliar with Petraeus, Rice Remains Popular
4 Apr 08On the eve of his congressional testimony on Iraq, a solid majority (55%) says they do not know enough about the top U.S. commander in Iraq to offer an opinion of him. Sec. of State Rice's favorability (56%) remains relatively unchanged since March 2005.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Controversy Heavily Covered but Obama Maintains Visibility Edge
Many Say Economic Reporting Too Negative
3 Apr 08While her Bosnia flap made Clinton the newsmaker of the week, she continues to lag behind Obama in terms of public visibility. Both candidates, despite recent negative news, have seen little change in their favorability.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

States Think Smaller, Slower On Immigration
3 Apr 08Under pressure from business groups and budget stringency, states are no longer rushing to pass immigration control measures.
Stateline.org

On Eve Of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans
Pontiff's Outreach to Other Religions Draws Mixed Reactions
3 Apr 08A new poll finds 30% of Americans know little about the pontiff. The pope's efforts to reach out to other faiths receive mixed reviews overall but strong support among observant Catholics.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Robo-Calls Now Top Type Of Campaign Outreach
Wealthy Democratic Donors Now Outnumber Wealthy GOP Donors
3 Apr 08About two-in-five voters now say they have received a pre-recorded call about the campaign. Meanwhile, Democrats are far more engaged in campaign activities than are Republcians -- including donating money to a candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

America's Catholics Occupy a Unique Place in the World of Religion
1 Apr 08U.S. Catholics occupy something of a middle ground between their more religious fellow Catholics in the developing world, and the less devout of Europe.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Clinton's Turn in Bad News is Big News
Bosnia Gaffe Makes Her Top Newsmaker After a Week of Dominant Obama Coverage
1 Apr 08In recent campaign media narratives, bad news is big news. Hillary Clinton's oft-repeated story about encountering sniper fire in Bosnia made her last week's top newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Talk Show Hosts Agree Obama Speech Was Boffo Theater but Some See the Script as Unconvincing
28 Mar 08The usually fractious fraternity of talking heads agreed on one thing -- Obama's ability to put words together. They were less unanimous about the content.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Who will be the next David Paterson?
27 Mar 08Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s downfallthat catapulted David Paterson to the governor’s mansion spotlights the quirky arrangements that determine who is next in line after a governor in many states.
Stateline.org

Dismal Views of the National Economy : It's the Inflation, Stupid
27 Mar 08Public satisfaction with the state of the nation is about as low as it has been in 20 years of Pew polling; but optimism about the future rises somewhat.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Obama Weathers the Wright Storm, Clinton Faces Credibility Problem
27 Mar 08Obama's personal image remains more favorable than Clinton's - and he retains a 10-point advantage over her in the race for the nomination. But certain beliefs and attitudes among older, white, working-class Democrats are associated with his lower levels of support among this group.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict's Visit
27 Mar 08When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the U.S. on April 15, he will be greeted by a flock that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Obama Speech on Race Arguably Biggest Event of Campaign
27 Mar 08Fully 85% of Americans say they heard about Obama's speech, and 70% have heard more about him in the last week than any other candidate. The impact of events on Obama's image appears to be mixed.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Few in China Complain About Internet Controls
27 Mar 08Many Americans assume that China's internet users are unhappy about their government's control of the internet, but a new survey finds most Chinese say they approve of internet regulation, especially by the government.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Why News of Iraq Didn't Surge
26 Mar 08In the history of the Iraq conflict, May 24, 2007 may not go down as a red letter date; but it marked a turning point in media coverage of the third-longest war in U.S. history.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

A Complex Speech Challenges the Media
25 Mar 08For an entire week, political prognosticators and pundits grappled to come to grips with Barack Obama’s sophisticated and mulitlayered address on race relations
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Fewer Voters Identify as Republicans
Democrats Now Have the Advantage in "Swing" States
20 Mar 08The balance of party identification in the U.S. electorate now favors the Democratic Party by a decidedly larger margin than in either of the two previous presidential election cycles including in some key swing states.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Political Water Cooler Conversation Features Ferraro, Rev. Wright
Spitzer Scandal: Heavy Coverage, Moderate Interest
20 Mar 08Not only are Americans closely following news about Obama's preacher and Clinton surrogates, but an overwhelming majority (84%) are talking about the campaign with family and friends.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

States Besieged by Budget Woes
19 Mar 08Already, 22 states have a collective budget shortfall of at least $37 billion; if the current slowdown follows the path of previous recessions, 35 to 40 states could face budget cuts in 2009.
Stateline.org

Public Attitudes Toward the War in Iraq: 2003-2008
19 Mar 08Ratings of how things are going in Iraq have improved over the past year, but a clear majority now say the initial decision to go to war was wrong.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Still Faults Government Care for Troops
19 Mar 08A year after problems at Walter Reed and other military hospitals made major news, Americans see no improvement in treatment of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Racial Tensions Roil Democrats' Media Narrative
But 'Client 9' Dominated Front Page Coverage
18 Mar 08Maybe the good news for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last week was that the problems of another Democrat -- Eliot Spitzer -- generated almost as much media attention as they did.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

State of the News Media 2008
17 Mar 08The Project for Excellence in Journalism's annual report finds that the current crisis in journalism may be less the loss of audience than the decoupling of news and advertising. On the upside, some news organizations have become places of risk and innovation with growing connection with audiences.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Financial Woes Overshadow All Other Concerns For Journalists
17 Mar 08A new survey of national and local reporters, producers, editors and executives finds soaring economic woes eclipse traditional worries about quality of coverage and credibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Project for Excellence in Journalism

What Foreign Policy Agenda?
14 Mar 08Presidential challengers -- and the ultimate winner -- will face a public that is disillusioned, downbeat and partisan about foreign affairs but far from clear about what it wants done.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tracking the Race Factor
14 Mar 08This week's primaries show that, results in Wisconsin aside, pre-primary polls may either over- or underestimate support for Obama depending on state racial demographics.
Pew Research Center

Rumors and Red Phones Capture The Public's Political Attention
38% Have Heard a Lot about "Obama's a Muslim" Rumors
13 Mar 08Americans are paying close attention to all aspects of the election this year, but the most widely recognized item involves rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Awareness of Iraq War Fatalities Plummets
Political Knowledge Update
12 Mar 08Public awareness of the number of American military killed in Iraq has declined sharply since last August along with news coverage of the war. A new Pew News IQ survey provides an updated look at the public's knowledge of political and world affairs.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Presidential Calendar Boosts '08 Govs' Races
12 Mar 08Voters in the Tar Heel and Hoosier states will be the first to consider gubernatorial contenders at the same time they make their presidential preferences.
Stateline.org

Clinton Gets Media to Turn Back the Clock
Even in a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama.
11 Mar 08In a strong week for Hillary, the narrative turned on questions about Obama’s toughness.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Hispanics Give Clinton Crucial Wins
7 Mar 08Latino voters lopsided support for Hillary Clinton more than accounted for her margin of victory in Texas, California and New Mexico.
Pew Hispanic Center

Voting Religiously
7 Mar 08Pew Forum's John Green discusses the role that religious and unaffiliated voters played on March 4 and could play in coming Democratic primaries and whether false rumors about Obama’s faith could hurt his chances.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Public Sees Fair Fight
6 Mar 08Every week since November, 2007, the most covered news story has been the election, and the public has taken notice. Almost half of Americans (47%) listed it as the single news story they were following more closely than any other, up from 10% last November.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Mixed Signals on Energy Policy
Public Less Enthusiastic About Ethanol Research, Divided on ANWR and Nuclear, But Highly Supportive of Tighter Auto Fuel Standards
6 Mar 08The public remains conflicted in its approach toward energy and the environment, but 55% favor more conservation and regulation compared with 35% who support expanded exploration. Fully 90% favor tighter auto fuel standards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Seeding The Cloud: What Mobile Access Means for Usage Patterns and Online Content
5 Mar 08Groups that have trailed in "traditional" internet access are in a better position to shape cyberspace as wireless devices make it more accessible.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Info on the Go: Mobile Access to Data and Information
62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population
5 Mar 08A new Pew Internet survey finds that 62% of all U.S. adults are now part of a wireless, mobile population.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Relativism vs. Fundamentalism: Is There a Middle Ground?
4 Mar 08In a Pew Forum event, eminent sociologist of religion Peter Berger sets forth his view that doubt is ultimately a key element of religious faith in liberal democracies.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Combative Clinton Gets Media to Cover Itself
When Reporters Weren't Vetting Obama, They Were Questioning Their Own Treatment of Him
4 Mar 08
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Getting to Know Them
3 Mar 08If they turn out to be their party's nominees, both Barack Obama and John McCain need to educate voters about themselves in some pretty basic, and challenging, ways.
Pew Research Center

Obama Has the Lead, but Potential Problems Too
Public's Attitudes Toward Progress in Iraq Turn More Favorable
28 Feb 08Obama has moved out to a broad-based advantage over Clinton in the national Democratic primary contest. Public attitudes about the war in Iraq have turned more positive, a favorable development for McCain.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Putin's Popularity Propels Chosen Successor in Russian Election
Russians Prefer Strength in Their Leader, Economy over Democracy
27 Feb 08Opinion polling -- showing a consistent Russian preference for a strong leader over a democratic government -- suggests the outcome of Russia's presidential election is a foregone conclusion.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

NY Times' McCain Story Draws Public Interest - And Disapproval
Beef Recall and Failing Satellite Attract Attention
27 Feb 08By a nearly two-to-one margin those familiar with the Times' article on the Arizona senator's ties to a lobbyist think the paper was wrong to publish it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Democrats Dominate Media on Single Theme: Is Clinton Done?
Controversial New York Times Story Drives Almost All McCain Coverage
26 Feb 08While Obama's apparent frontrunner status claimed most coverage early in the week, the controversial New York Times story put McCain back in the news.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Govs Press For More Money on Real ID, Medicaid
25 Feb 08Meeting in Washington, the states’ chief executives made clear their unhappiness with federal standards for driver’s licenses and costly new Medicaid rules.
Stateline.org

In November, Will Age Matter?
25 Feb 08John McCain's age has remained notably absent as a campaign issue, but earlier polling data suggest it could become a big issue for the Arizona senator come November.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey Reveals a Fluid and Diverse Pattern of Faith
25 Feb 08A new survey including interviews with more than 35,000 Americans finds that more than one-quarter of adults (28%) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion -- or no religion at all.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Govs' Talks Target Clean Coal, Carbon Tax
24 Feb 08Governors have few doubts that global warming is a looming threat, but have some major differences about how to address the problem.
Stateline.org

The Hispanic Vote in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries
21 Feb 08As the Democratic nomination contest heads for a showdown in Texas on March 4, Latinos may be a pivotal constituency in a state where they make up a quarter of the electorate.
Pew Hispanic Center

Campaign Seen as Less Negative than 2004 Contest
Gore, Edwards Endorsements Would Have Modest Impact
21 Feb 08The public remains highly engaged in the election, with no increase in campaign fatigue. Also, with the Democratic race still in question, a Gore endorsement would be more influential than one from Edwards.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Star-Struck States Sweeten Film Incentives
21 Feb 08In their efforts to attract big money from the film industry states are offering tax rebates, no-interest loans and training credits. Come Sunday (Feb. 24), New Mexico may even be able to brag about an Oscar or two. Four films nominated for Academy Awards were shot in the Land of Enchantment.
Stateline.org

A Portrait of Early Internet Adopters: Why People First Went Online --and Why They Stayed
20 Feb 08Technology has advanced and the size and composition of the internet population has changed, but the reasons internet users go online and the things they do while there have remained remarkably constant.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Obama and Clinton Tie for Coverage, But Barack Wins on Tone
Democratic Race Dominates Presidential Campaign Coverage
20 Feb 08The media narrative for the Democratic presidential race shifted dramatically last week, anointing a definite frontrunner and an underdog.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Global Views on Castro and Cuba
19 Feb 08Fidel Castro ends his long tenure as president of Cuba with international opinion mixed on the question of whether his leadership has been good or bad for his country.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Evolution Battle Flares in States
14 Feb 08Evolution has won some recent battles, but its supporters are bracing against what they see as a growing effort to undermine the theory’s credibility.
Stateline.org

Fast, Mobile Internet Access Adds to Privacy Problems
14 Feb 08Many Americans are jumping into the participatory Web without considering all the privacy implications.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Economic Discontent Deepens As Inflation Concerns Rise
Growing Rich-Poor Divide in Affording Necessities
14 Feb 08Public views of the U.S. economy, already quite negative, have plummeted since January. Just 17% currently rate the nation's economy as excellent or good, down from 26% last month.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Online Shopping: Convenient but Risky
13 Feb 08Two-thirds (66%) of online Americans have purchased a product online, but many worry about the safety of financial and personal data.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Obama Inspiring but Inexperienced, Clinton Prepared to Lead but "Hard to Like"
13 Feb 08While Democrats and independents who lean Democratic believe Clinton is prepared to lead, Obama has a clear lead on three positive campaign themes: inspiration, change, and honesty.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Evolving Media Expectations Plaguing All Remaining Candidates
12 Feb 08The presidential campaign again dominated news coverage but the journalistic narratives were not really the ones for which any of the remaining candidates were were probably hoping.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Young Voters in the 2008 Presidential Primaries
11 Feb 08Beyond the vote, the exit polls point to interesting differences -- and similarities -- between younger and older Democratic voters.
Pew Research Center

Immigration to Play Lead Role In Future U.S. Growth
U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050
11 Feb 08If current trends continue, immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants will account for 82% of the population growth in the United States during this period, according to new projections from the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center

Does McCain Need Evangelical Voters?
Clinton Faces Challenge with Black Protestants; Obama Not Connecting With Jews
8 Feb 08Sizeable numbers of white evangelical Protestants are already part of McCain’s coalition despite opposition from some religious conservatives. On the Democratic side, Clinton will need to mobilize black Protestants while Obama has not connected with Jewish voters.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Patterns of Distinction
8 Feb 08Super Tuesday revealed distinct – and somewhat suprising -- voting patterns across the nation that may shape the course ahead in the closely contested Democratic race.
Pew Research Center

Super Tuesday Results Suggest Race Card May Be A Joker in the Primary Deck
7 Feb 08Race still plays a role in U.S. politics but it showed up in surprising ways in tallies from Democratic primary elections so far this year.
Pew Research Center

Many Democrats Say Media Tougher on Clinton than Obama
Public Sees Candidates Focusing On Economy
7 Feb 08With campaign coverage dominating (including 76% of the cable newshole), nearly a third of Democrats say the press has been too tough on Clinton while more Republicans say the press has been too easy on McCain than the other candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

What Americans Should But Don’t Know About Religion
6 Feb 08The U.S. is one of the most religious countries on earth, but Americans know little about their own religion, let along the religions of others. A scholar explains why that is dangerous for the nation.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Where Men and Women Differ in Following the News
6 Feb 08A look at the public's news interests over the past year shows continuing differences between women and men in the types of news stories that they follow very closely.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Bush Budget Gives States Little to Cheer About
5 Feb 08President Bush’s $3 trillion fiscal 2009 budget comes at a time when many states face a budget shortfall; new restrictions on health insurance for children, Medicaid and other programs may add to their burdens.
Stateline.org

McCain Wins the Coverage Battle as Media Move to Anoint Him
4 Feb 08By generating more coverage than any other candidate last week, and easily outdistancing his GOP rivals, Sen. John McCain rode a media narrative of near inevitability last week. Plus, Sen. Ted Kennedy becomes a major newsmaker.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The Faith Factor at the Polls
Virtually every religious community is important in at least one of the states with a Super Tuesday election.
4 Feb 08John Green: “Virtually every religious community one can think of is important in at least one of the states with an election on Super Tuesday.”
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

McCain’s Support Soars, Democratic Race Tightens
4 Feb 08Both Barack Obama and John McCain have gained considerable popularity in recent weeks with Obama’s gains concentrated among white, middle-income and moderate Democrats.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Independent Voters Vexed at Polls?
1 Feb 08Some 4.5 million independent voters in six states (Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oklahoma and Utah) will be completely locked out of their states’ presidential primaries on Feb. 5.
Stateline.org

A Portrait of the Latino Vote in Eight "Super Tuesday" States
1 Feb 08Hispanic voters could be crucial to the outcome of several of this week's primaries and caucuses. Here are fact sheets describing the socioeconomic characteristics of eligible Latino voters in each of the eight states with sizeable Hispanic populations.
Pew Hispanic Center

A Look at the Numbers
1 Feb 08So far, the 2008 primaries and caucuses have been anything but predictable -- comebacks, fallbacks, not to mention surprised pollsters. But a closer look reveals some common themes that have emerged.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

States Take Sides in Stem Cell Debate
31 Jan 08A Stateline.org backgrounder covers various aspects of the stem cell debate, including an interactive feature illustrating the main techniques used in creating pluripotent cells, a summary of ethical questions raised by scientific advances and a description of the evolution of related state policies.
Stateline.org

The Impact of "Cell-Onlys" on Public Opinion Polls
Ways of Coping with a Growing Population Segment
31 Jan 08A new Pew study finds that on key political measures such as presidential approval, Iraq policy, presidential primary voter preference and party affiliation, respondents reached on cell phones hold attitudes very similar to those reached on landline telephones.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?
Yes, but Not Always, and Not about Everything
31 Jan 08In general the nation's two largest minorities think well of each other, but there are some important differences, a Pew survey finds.
Social & Demographic Trends

GOP Debate's Economic Focus Mirrors Country's Growing Concern
31 Jan 08But candidates' perceptions on economic growth and tax cuts diverge from overall public priorities.
Pew Research Center

Are States Prepared for Problems When Voters Go to the Polls in 2008?
30 Jan 08Do the glitches reported during the Florida primary show that many states aren't ready for election day? Two experts debate the question.
Stateline.org

Global Warming Falls Still Farther on Republicans' Policy Agenda
Just 12% Call It a "Top Priority"
30 Jan 08Republicans' concerns about climate change have fallen through the floor. Just 12% now call it a top priority for policymakers.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton Finishes Third in Battle for Campaign Coverage (But it's Bill!!!)
29 Jan 08Although Obama's landslide win in South Carolina made him leading newsmaker of the week, he was certainly outdone in the race for media exposure by the Clinton tag team.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

The South Carolina Democratic Primary in Black and White
28 Jan 08This time, the pre-election polls understated Barack Obama's support among both white and black voters.
Pew Research Center

'Present' votes defended by Illinois lawmakers
25 Jan 08Obama's former colleagues in the state legislature say that attacks on his 'present votes' show that either his opponents don't understand how things work in Springfield or they are deliberately distorting his record.
Stateline.org

Raising McCain
25 Jan 08Nearly lost in the blizzard of recent poll reports were the findings of a Gallup survey that the current GOP frontrunner, John McCain, might well give each of the two Democratic frontrunners a run for their money.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Will Evangelical Voters Rally Around a Single Candidate in 2008?
24 Jan 08As voting patterns and preferences among evangelicals have become more fluid, their electoral impact may extend beyond the primaries and affect both parties in November. Two experts from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life discuss this critical voting bloc.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Election-Year Economic Ratings Lowest Since '92
An Even More Partisan Agenda Greets Bush's Final State of the Union
24 Jan 08Republicans and Democrats agree the economy should be a top priority for the president and Congress, but they differ more than ever on the importance of other domestic issues -- such as global warming and health insurance for the uninsured.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Interest Surges in Economic News, Especially the Housing Crisis
24 Jan 08Public interest in economic news reached its highest level in five years. Interest was only somewhat greater during the recession of the early 1990s.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Arizona's Population Growth Parallels America's
Demography of the State's Population and Labor Force, 2000-2006
24 Jan 08How will Arizona's new law penalizing businesses for hiring unauthorized immigrants affect its labor force? The Pew Hispanic Center provides up-to-date estimates of the state's demographics as well as two other fact sheets analyzing the characteristics of the overall Latino population in the U.S. and of foreign-born immigrants of all origins.
Pew Hispanic Center

Laura Bush's Declining Favorability
Views of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Have Also Grown More Negative
24 Jan 08Laura Bush, once almost universally liked, has seen her favorability ratings slip over the past three years, especially among young adults. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also fallen from favor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton and Obama Lead Pack Again in Tight Battle for Media Attention
23 Jan 08But, thanks to press fascination with Mike Huckabee, Republicans overall generated more press than Democrats last week.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Look Out Below! America's Infrastructure Is Crumbling
22 Jan 08"Much of America is held together by Scotch tape, bailing wire and prayers," says one expert of the state of the country's dams, bridges, roadways and sewer lines.
Stateline.org

Mind the Gender Gap
18 Jan 08Does Hilary Clinton have a problem with male voters or does Barack Obama simply appeal more to men?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Top Conservative Talkers Rap Huckabee and McCain
18 Jan 08The most popular conservative voices in talk radio last week seemed to take sides in the crowded Republican presidential field.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Do State Tests Make the Grade?
17 Jan 08It’s hard to overestimate the importance of standardized tests in public schools today, but differences in state standards and the reluctance of some states to spend money for high-quality, challenging tests have caused a great disparity from state to state.
Stateline.org

Italy's Malaise: La Vita Non É Cosí Dolce
Italians' Spirits Are Flagging -- But Not Their Sense of Cultural Superiority
17 Jan 08Taken aback by critical depictions of their country's "collective funk," Italians' spirits are flagging -- but not their sense of cultural superiority.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Race, Ethnicity and Campaign ’08
People…Can We All Get Along?
17 Jan 08Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, but a poll finds that race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel.
Social & Demographic Trends

In GOP Primaries: Three Victors, Three Constituencies
Romney Gains Among Non-Evangelical Conservatives
16 Jan 08The Republican nomination contest is being increasingly shaped by ideology and religion, while the dynamics of the Democratic race are more heavily influenced by class, race and gender.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Clinton is the Big Winner Last Week in the Race for Coverage
15 Jan 08The resurrection in New Hampshire of John McCain's once-dead campaign did not translate into similar largesse of media attention.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

States Vie For Stem-Cell Scientists
15 Jan 08As the pace of stem-cell research quickens, seven big states are financing the science in hopes of attracting the world's best scientists.
Stateline.org

The GOP's Unanswered Question
11 Jan 08Thursday night's Republican debate in South Carolina in the wake of John McCain's comeback victory in New Hampshire and Mike Huckabee's surprising win in Iowa raised more questions than it answered.
Pew Research Center

The Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008
11 Jan 08The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential races. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Internet & American Life Project

Only Half of Public Can Name Both Iowa Winners, but Many Complain of Too Much Media Coverage
10 Jan 08In the wake of his Iowa victory, Barack Obama for the first time supplanted Hillary Clinton as the most visible presidential candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Getting It Wrong
10 Jan 08Several factors deserve exploration, but one should not ignore the possibility of the longstanding pattern of pre-election polls overstating support for black candidates among white voters, particularly white voters who are poor.
Pew Research Center

New Hampshire Teaches News Media a Lesson
10 Jan 08It wasn't quite "Dewey Defeats Truman," but after the Jan. 8 Granite State primary confounded many pollsters and pundits, a key story in coverage of the McCain and Clinton victories was the media's proclivity to predict and pre-analyze the results.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

With Focus on the Presidential Race, Stakes are High at the State Level Too
10 Jan 08While attention is focused on this year's presidential election, races with equal or even greater power to impact folks' everyday lives will be decided at the state level, including 11 governors' contests, key legislative races and numerous ballot initiatives.
Stateline.org

Report: Teachers Earn Less than Peers
9 Jan 08In 40 states, public school teachers fail to make as much as workers in comparable professions, such as reporters and insurance underwriters, according to a new report by the Education Research Center.
Stateline.org

Online Video Audience Surges
9 Jan 08A new survey finds a sharp rise in the number of viewers of YouTube and other internet video sites over the past year. Nearly half of online adults now say they have visited such sites.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Religion and Secularism: The American Experience
8 Jan 08Professor Wilfred McClay argues that America’s particular brand of secularism, together with some features of Christianity, have produced a unique if imperfect mingling of religion and government in the country’s public life.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

22 Governors Weigh in on Presidential Race
8 Jan 08Candidates covet endorsements by state chief executives, and so far 22 governors have announced their choices.
Stateline.org

The Public’s Not-So-Happy New Year
4 Jan 08Americans begin 2008 with a highly negative view of national conditions and President Bush, and with tempered expectations for the coming year. More Democrats look forward to elections, but Republicans are more optimistic about the year ahead.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Despite Progress and an Upbeat Pre-Election Mood, Ethnic Conflicts Have Long Worried Many Kenyans
3 Jan 08Despite economic progress and an upbeat pre-election mood, a recent Pew poll found greater concern in Kenya about tribal rivalries than in all but two other African nations surveyed.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Legislative Roundup: 2007 Marked by Activism
2 Jan 08Disgusted with federal gridlock, states are carving out their own global-warming and immigration laws and expanding health coverage for uninsured children.
Stateline.org

At the Start of the Primary Season, Republicans Run Neck and Neck Nationally, Clinton Clings to Solid Lead
2 Jan 08On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Giuliani's once solid lead in nationwide polls has vanished; religion has become a larger factor for GOP voters as Huckabee has become better known. The Democratic contest remains largely stable nationwide despite close state races.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

In Search of Solutions: How People use the Internet, Libraries, and Government Agencies to Find Help
31 Dec 07A new survey challenges the assumption that libraries are no longer relevant, although the internet is now the most consulted information source.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

View from Pakistan: Before Bhutto's Assassination, Public Opinion Was Increasingly Opposed to Terrorism
28 Dec 07What the former prime minister's death means for the country's stability is highly uncertain, but it is clear that Pakistanis, while supportive of democratic elections and disapproving of militant extremism, remain highly skeptical of the U.S.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

New Year, New Laws
28 Dec 07As partygoers count down the seconds toward New Year's Day, not everyone will be celebrating. At least 31 states will start to enforce new laws, and some of them can seem pretty tough, ranging from where you can smoke in Illinois to how much it costs to enter a strip club in Texas.
Stateline.org

Greetings from Your Governor!
21 Dec 07Stateline has collected this year's set of gubernatorial holiday greetings including a cowboy poem, original artwork, lots of family photos, several pets and even a few mentions of a Merry Christmas.
Stateline.org

The Death Penalty in America
19 Dec 07Religious communities have been deeply involved on both sides of the capital punishment issue. As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in a case challenging use of lethal injection, a Pew Forum special report examines the history of the death penalty, arguments before the court and public opinion.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Teen Content Creators
19 Dec 07Some 93% of teens use the internet, and more of them than ever are treating it as a venue for social interaction -- a place where they can share creations, tell stories, and interact with others.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Primary Preview: Dynamics Differ for the Two Parties in Early Races
Personal and Tactical Factors Matter Most for Democratic Candidates, Ideological Divides for Republican Candidates
19 Dec 07For Democratic candidates, the decisive factors in Iowa and New Hampshire are personal and tactical; for GOP contestants, however, the ultimate outcome may be decided by the relative strength of newly combative ideological elements.
Pew Research Center

Gas Prices, Disasters Top News Interest in 2007
19 Dec 07Man-made and natural disasters dominated the list of the public's top news stories in 2007 but, as was the case in 2006, the rising price of gasoline attracted the largest audience of any news story.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Iraq Portrait: How the Press Has Covered Events on the Ground
19 Dec 07Through the first 10 months of 2007, the news media's picture of Iraq was painted mostly in bleak colors. But reports about daily attacks declined in late summer and fall, as did the amount of coverage from Iraq overall.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

What Was -- and Wasn't -- On the Public's Mind in 2007
19 Dec 07 A compilation of the top 15 stories in which public opinion played a significant role, and the year's most notable "non-barking dogs."
Pew Research Center

Science in America: Religious Belief and Public Attitudes
18 Dec 07The combination of widespread religious commitment and leadership in science and technology greatly enlarges the potential for conflict between faith and science in the U.S.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Digital Footprints: Online Identity Management and Search in the Age of Transparency
16 Dec 07Unlike footprints left in the sand, our online data trails often stick around long after the tide has gone out. And internet users have become more aware of information that remains connected to their name online.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Primary Problems: How Exit Pollsters Plan to Cope with a Super-Crowded Election Season
14 Dec 07From holiday distractions to winter weather, the people who will be measuring voters' preferences in primaries and caucuses around the nation will be dealing with unprecedented problems. Here's how they plan to do it.
Pew Research Center

Oprah Boosts Obama's Visibility; Republicans Applaud Romney Speech
13 Dec 07Awareness of Winfrey's support for Obama was equally high across parties, genders and racial groups; leading GOP candidates still lag behind Obama and Clinton in public visibility.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

With Feds Stuck, States Tackle Immigration
13 Dec 07State lawmakers have taken widely divergent approaches to dealing with an influx of immigrants; some are rolling out welcome mats while others are slamming shut their doors.
Stateline.org

The Immigration Debate: Controversy Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill
13 Dec 07The 2007 National Survey of Latinos finds that Hispanics in the U.S. are feeling a range of negative effects from increased public attention and stepped up enforcement measures.
Pew Hispanic Center

Health Problems, Priorities and Donors Worldwide
The Kaiser/Pew Global Health Survey
13 Dec 07A new survey compares the health priorities of people in developing nations with those of their governments and the international organizations that work in global health.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

South Korea's Coming Election Highlights Christian Community
12 Dec 07The fact that the presidential frontrunner is a Protestant Church leader highlights the growing numbers, influence and religious intensity of South Korea's Christians.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

How the World Sees China
11 Dec 07Rising anti-Americanism in recent years has given China a decided image advantage over the U.S. But Pew polls suggests that perceptions of China's increasing military and economic power could boost anti-Chinese sentiment in years to come.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

States Take Lead in Housing Crisis
7 Dec 07From establishing foreclosure hotlines to temporarily freezing sub-prime interest rates, states are at the forefront of policymaking to minimize damage from the mortgage meltdown.
Stateline.org

The Courting of Iowa and New Hampshire: Many are Robo-Called but Fewer Are Listening
7 Dec 07Voters, especially Democrats, in two early primary states are being inundated with phone calls, mail and other campaign contacts; but so far there are few signs of campaign fatigue.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Third Quarter News: Terrorism, Tight Credit, and Tragedies
6 Dec 07The threat of terrorism, a real estate recession, and man-made disasters all emerged as major stories in the U.S. news media in the third quarter of 2007, according to a new study of press coverage by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote?
6 Dec 07Earlier Republican Party gains among Latinos have dissipated in the past year, a new Pew Hispanic Center survey finds. Hispanics also comprise a sizable share of voters in four "swing states" that President Bush narrowly carried in 2004.
Pew Hispanic Center

Public Still Getting To Know Leading GOP Candidates
Many Republicans Unaware of Romney's Religion
5 Dec 07While 86% of the public can name Rudy Giuliani as the former NYC mayor, only about half as many correctly identified Mitt Romney as a Mormon and even fewer knew that he was a former Mass. governor.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

How the World Rates Women as Leaders
5 Dec 07On Dec.10, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will become Argentina's first female president, joining 11 other female prime ministers and presidents. But a Pew Global Attitudes survey finds world publics hold mixed opinions about women political leaders.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

GOP Race Unsettled in Politically Diverse Early States
4 Dec 07Likely Republican voters in the three politically disparate early primary states express less enthusiasm about their field of presidential candidates, and many voice only modest support for their choices.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Public Opinion About Mormons
Mitt Romney Discusses His Religion
4 Dec 07Mitt Romney's speech discussing the role of religion in American politics addressed a public among which many harbor doubts about his Mormon faith.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Clinton Pressed in Iowa, But Holds Solid Leads Elsewhere
3 Dec 07Democrats enter the presidential primary campaign upbeat about their candidates and united in their views on major issues. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner in three key early primary states, holding a slim five-point edge in Iowa and more substantial 19-point and 14-point leads in New Hampshire and South Carolina, respectively.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Immigration Takes Center Stage at GOP YouTube Debate
Public Says It Prefers Questions From "Regular" People
29 Nov 07In a format the public says it prefers -- "regular people," not journalists, posing the questions -- immigration emerged as the hot-button issue. Were the candidates' answers in sync with GOP voters' opinions?
Pew Research Center

English Usage among Hispanics in the United States
29 Nov 07A new analysis of six Pew Hispanic Center surveys finds a dramatic increase in English-language ability from one generation of Hispanics to the next.
Pew Hispanic Center

Tobacco Case Could Limit State Powers
28 Nov 07Forty state laws regulating internet tobacco sales -- and many other laws governing dangerous products -- are at stake in a case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week.
Stateline.org

Journalists in Iraq: A Survey of Reporters on the Front Lines
28 Nov 07Journalists covering Iraq -- mostly veteran war correspondents -- give their reporting a generally positive assessment but describe conditions there as the most perilous they have ever encountered.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Public Sees Progress in War Effort
27 Nov 07For the first time in a long time, nearly half of Americans express positive opinions about the situation in Iraq and judgments about the overall situation in Iraq have been improving steadily since the summer.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Will Shared Concern about Iran Provide Common Ground for Middle East Negotiators in Annapolis?
27 Nov 07Chances for progress at the Middle East conference should be bolstered by the presence of Saudi Arabia, which is viewed as a key ally in much of the Arab world.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

States Clammed Up After 9/11
19 Nov 07The 2001 terrorist attacks led every state but South Dakota to restrict access to all sorts of information deemed critical to homeland security.
Stateline.org

Will California Jumpstart National Health Care Reform?
19 Nov 07With more uninsured than any other state -- more than the entire population of Massachusetts -- the Golden State could once again emerge a trendsetter.
Stateline.org

The View from the Other Side
How Republicans Rate the Democratic Candidates, and Democrats Rate the Republicans
19 Nov 07A survey finds no evidence that a significant number of voters are considering crossing party lines -- or voting strategically for the other party's weakest candidate.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Tracking the Traders
A Look at the Buyers and Sellers Who Make the Stock Market Go Up and Down
19 Nov 07A look at the attitudes of the regular buyers and sellers who make the stock market go up and down finds they are, among other things, even more likely to support the frontrunners in both the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Lebanon's Precarious Politics
Many of the Country's Sectarian Differences Do Not Run along a Straight Muslim-Christian Fault Line
15 Nov 07Behind the delayed selection of a new president, now scheduled for next week, lie complicated sectarian struggles, many of which do not run along a straight Muslim/Christian fault line.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Why We Don't Know Enough About Broadband in the U.S.
Networks May Be Global but Measurement Must Be Local -- and Government Agencies Need Help to Do a Better Job at Collecting It
14 Nov 07Many key questions about the information society require fine-grained, publicly available data about broadband deployment and use at the local level -- but government agencies need more help in gathering it.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class
Optimism About Black Progress Declines
13 Nov 07African Americans see a widening gulf between the values of middle class and poor blacks, and nearly four-in-ten say that because of the diversity within their community, blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Social & Demographic Trends

Iraq News: Less Dominant, Still Important
9 Nov 07Both media coverage of the conflict and public interest in it have fallen, but a growing number of Americans would like to see more war coverage, especially of U.S. troops and returning veterans.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Election '07: Lessons Learned
8 Nov 07Tuesday's elections proved once again that all politics is local as voters in three states soundly rejected governors' pet projects and others put big-ticket spending items on the state's credit card while providing possible clues to the voters' mood for '08. Also a graphic look at the before and after in three states where the entire legislatures were up for grabs.
Stateline.org

Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences
7 Nov 07A new analysis of recent surveys show Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani as the preferred candidates among key religious groups. Giuliani, though, garners considerably less support from white evangelical Protestants than he does from white mainline Protestants and white Catholics.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Election '07: Tuesday's Winners and Losers
7 Nov 07A roundup of state legislature and gubernatorial race outcomes and a look at the fate of high profile ballot initiatives across the states.
Stateline.org

A Year Later: Public Dissatisfied With Democratic Leaders, But Still Happy They Won
7 Nov 07Republican leaders share blame for Congress's lack of productivity; Democrats holds 12-point advantage over GOP as better able to manage the federal government.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Musharraf's Support Shrinks, Even As More Pakistanis Reject Terrorism... and the U.S.
7 Nov 07As American leaders from George W. Bush to Barack Obama talk tough with Pakistan about terrorism, Pakistanis themselves express fear and loathing of the United States, but reject terrorist tactics.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Faith and the Public Dialogue: A Conversation with Sen. John Kerry
1 Nov 07At a Pew Forum event, the Massachusetts Democrat candidly discusses the propriety of public inquiry into politicians' religious beliefs and lessons learned from his 2004 presidential bid.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Karen Hughes' Uphill Battle
Foreign Policy, Not Public Diplomacy, Mostly Determines How the World Views America
1 Nov 07Despite the efforts of the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, America's image problems endure as foreign policy, not public diplomacy, is the major determinant of how the world views America.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

A Year Ahead, Republicans Face Tough Political Terrain
31 Oct 07A year before the 2008 presidential election, most major national opinion trends decidedly favor the Democrats and discontent with the state of the nation is markedly greater than it was four years ago. Also, Republicans have become less likely to say that their party is doing a good job standing up for its traditional positions.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Widespread Negativity: Muslims Distrust Westerners More than Vice Versa
30 Oct 07Muslims and non-Muslims associate a wide array of negative characteristics with one another. But there is generally more antagonism in Muslim countries toward the West than vice versa.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

The Invisible Primary - Invisible No Longer
A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign
29 Oct 07In the early months of the 2008 campaign, the media had essentially winnowed the race to a handful of candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected.
Project for Excellence in Journalism

Turkey and Its (Many) Discontents
The Turkish Public's Opinions of America Have Hit Rock Bottom -- but Turks Don't Think Much of Other Nations or Groups Either
25 Oct 07Turkey is a key strategic U.S. ally but negative views of America are widespread and growing there. Turks also have low opinions of many other nations and groups.
Pew Global Attitudes Project

Between Here and There: How Attached Do Latino Immigrants Remain to Their Native Country?
25 Oct 07Most maintain some kind of connection to their native country, but only one-in-ten can be considered to be highly attached.
Pew Hispanic Center

Parents, Teens and Technology
24 Oct 07Family members tend to use the same kinds of gadgets, but teenagers find them more useful.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

A Delicate Balance: The Free Exercise Clause and the Supreme Court
24 Oct 07More than a century of court decisions in this area have forged a ragged path from one extreme to the other, with permutations in between.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

The Free Exercise Clause and the Parameters of Religious Liberty
24 Oct 07An expert on law and religion discusses concrete examples of protected religious expression – must the sheik remove his turban when boarding a plane?
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Modest Interest in 2008 Campaign News
Democratic Candidates Better Known, Even Among Republicans
23 Oct 07Many more Republicans are able to recall unprompted the names of Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than can name Rudy Giuliani and other leading GOP candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

State-level Republican Candidates Stress Immigration
18 Oct 07Candidates in several states are capitalizing on voter anger over illegal immigration after Congress failed for the second year in a row to pass major immigration reforms.
Stateline.org

Broadband: What's All the Fuss About?
The impacts of high-speed connections extend beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons
17 Oct 07The impacts of high-speed connections extend beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

A Portrait of Republican Social-Issue Voters
Though Much Courted by GOP candidates, Their Impact on the Nominating Process Is Still Unclear
15 Oct 07Though much courted by GOP candidates, the impact of this voting bloc on the presidential nominating process remains unclear.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

When Strangers Contact Teens Online
Most Such Experiences Are Neither Scary Nor Uncomfortable, but Certain Traits or Activities Can Invite More Interactions with Unknown Persons
15 Oct 07While the number of teens made uncomfortable by an online experience with someone they do not know is relatively small, certain traits and activities are more likely to attract interactions with unknown individuals, whether unwanted or not.
Pew Internet & American Life Project

Economic Pessimism Grows as Nation's Real Estate Slump Hits Wealthy Areas
Republicans Less Upbeat About Economy and Housing Markets
11 Oct 07Public assessments of the nation's economy have fallen to a two-year low. Faced with a steady stream of negative news about the housing market, Americans are substantially less inclined than they were even a few months ago to say they expect home prices to rise over the next few years.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

The Precarious State of Statehouse Budgets
10 Oct 07A slumping housing market and skimpier sales tax collections are busting budgets from California to Florida with national job growth sluggish and consumer confidence near a two-year low.
Stateline.org

Thompson Stands with GOP Rank and File during First Debate
The Former Senator Stuck to Traditional -- and Popular -- Positions Among Republican Voters
10 Oct 07In his first appearance on a debate stage with his rivals for the Republican nomination, the former Tennessee senator stuck to very traditional -- and very popular -- positions among his party's voters.
Pew Research Center

The Right-to-Die Debate and the Tenth Anniversary of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act
10 Oct 07Similar measures considered in several other states have failed in the state legislature or at the ballot box, while polls show the country still divided on the issue.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

E-patients with a Disability or Chronic Disease
9 Oct 07Just half of adults with chronic conditions use the internet; but once online, they are avid consumers of health informati