Public Opinion Polling Basics
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Is China a religious country or not? It’s a tricky question to answer
Based on formal religious identity, China is the least religious country in the world – with just 10% of Chinese adults self-identifying with a religion.
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Republican Gains in 2022 Midterms Driven Mostly by Turnout Advantage
68% of U.S. adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election turned out to vote in the 2022 midterms. Former President Donald Trump’s voters turned out at a higher rate in 2022 (71%) than did President Joe Biden’s voters (67%).
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How Pew Research Center will report on generations moving forward
When we have the data to study groups of similarly aged people over time, we won’t always default to using the standard generational definitions and labels, like Gen Z, Millennials or Baby Boomers.
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5 things to keep in mind when you hear about Gen Z, Millennials, Boomers and other generations
It can be useful to talk about generations, but generational categories are not scientifically defined and labels can lead to stereotypes and oversimplification.
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Q&A: A behind-the-scenes look at Pew Research Center’s extensive new survey of Asian Americans
This project is the largest nationally representative survey of its kind to date focused on Asian Americans.
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When surveying small populations, some approaches are more inclusive than others
Modern survey tools offer several ways to survey small populations, and in this explainer, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of prominent approaches.
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How a coding error provided a rare glimpse into Latino identity among Brazilians in the U.S.
An error in how the Census Bureau processed data from a national survey provided a rare window into how Brazilians living in the U.S. view their identity.
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Why the U.S. census doesn’t ask Americans about their religion
The Census Bureau has collected data on Americans’ income, race, ethnicity, housing and other things, but it has never directly asked about their religion.
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Government considering changes ahead of 2030 census – including no more forms for most Americans
The bureau is considering counting most Americans using Social Security data, IRS files and other administrative records.
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Does public opinion polling about issues still work?
National polls like the Center’s come within a few percentage points, on average, of benchmarks from high response rate federal surveys.
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A Field Guide to Polling: Election 2020 Edition
While survey research in the United States is a year-round undertaking, the public’s focus on polling is never more intense than during the run-up to a presidential election.
Comparing Two Types of Online Survey Samples
Pew Research Center conducted a study to compare the accuracy of six online surveys of U.S. adults – three from probability-based panels and three from opt-in sources. On average, the absolute error on opt-in samples was about twice that of probability-based panels.
Q&A: What is the American Trends Panel, and how has it changed?
Members of the American Trends Panel can now take our surveys online or over the phone with an interviewer.
How Public Polling Has Changed in the 21st Century
A new study found that 61% of national pollsters used different methods in 2022 than in 2016. And last year, 17% of pollsters used multiple methods to sample or interview people – up from 2% in 2016.
© 2024 Pew Research Center