2010 Poll Findings that Will Matter in 2011
Public’s Top Stories of the Decade – 9/11 and Katrina
Summary of Findings The 9/11 terrorist attacks drew more public interest than any other story in the past decade. In October 2001, a month after the attacks, 78% said they were following news about the story very closely, up slightly from the week after the attacks (74%). The devastating hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast […]
Top Stories of 2010: Haiti Earthquake, Gulf Oil Spill
December 16-19, 2010 Weekly Survey
For Public, Tough Year Ends on a Down Note
Six-in-ten say the country is losing ground on the federal budget deficit, the cost of living, Social Security and the availability of good-paying jobs.
Tax Cut Deal Captures Public and Media Attention
Interest in WikiLeaks Down
Tax Cuts Win Broad Bipartisan Support
The agreement between President Obama and congressional Republicans to extend tax cuts and unemployment benefits is getting strong bipartisan support. Overall, 60% approve of the agreement while just 22% disapprove. There are virtually no partisan differences in opinions about the agreement – 63% of Democrats approve of it, as do 62% of Republicans and […]
December 9-12, 2010 Weekly Survey
Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism
In many respects, there is a broad public consensus when it comes to the federal budget deficit: seven-in-ten say it is a major problem that must be addressed right away, and roughly two-thirds say that the best way to reduce the deficit is through a combination of cutting major government programs and increasing taxes. […]
Deficit Solutions Meet With Public Skepticism
Seven-in-ten say the deficit is a major problem that must be addressed right away, but this general consensus evaporates when concrete deficit reduction proposals are tested.
Most Say WikiLeaks Release Harms Public Interest
Mixed Reactions to Media Coverage
Mixed Views on Tax Cuts, Support for START and Allowing Gays to Serve Openly
With the public giving subpar approval ratings to President Obama and continuing to express negative views of Congress and the political parties, it goes its own way on many of the remaining issues before the lame-duck Congress. In a survey conducted before Obama and GOP leaders agreed to temporarily extend all Bush-era tax cuts, […]
December 2010 Political Survey
December 2-5, 2010 Weekly Survey
Despite Years of Terror Scares, Public’s Concerns Remain Fairly Steady
Since 9/11, there have been major terrorist attacks in Great Britain, Spain and other countries. And in the United States, there have been Orange Alerts and numerous near misses involving bombs smuggled aboard aircraft and in parked cars. But over the course of all of this, there is little evidence that close calls in […]
Voting in Foreign-Policy Oblivion
Most Continue to Favor Gays Serving Openly in Military
Public Focused on Economy, Election Impact
Most Aware of Energy Drink Warnings
The Growing Gap between Landline and Dual Frame Election Polls
The Growing Gap between Landline and Dual Frame Election Polls; Republican Vote Share Bigger in Landline-Only Surveys
A new analysis of Pew Research Center pre-election surveys conducted this year finds that support for Republican candidates was significantly higher in samples based only on landlines than in dual frame samples that combined landline and cell phone interviews. The difference in the margin among likely voters this year is about twice as large as in 2008.