report | Apr 15, 2013

State Governments Viewed Favorably as Federal Rating Hits New Low

Overview Even as public views of the federal government in Washington have fallen to another new low, the public continues to see their state and local governments in a favorable light. Overall, 63% say they have a favorable opinion of their local government, virtually unchanged over recent years. And 57% express a favorable view of […]

report | Apr 11, 2013

A Third of Americans Say They Like Doing Their Income Taxes

Report As April 15 approaches, a majority of Americans (56%) have a negative reaction to doing their income taxes, with 26% saying they hate doing them. However, about a third (34%) say they either like (29%) or love (5%) doing their taxes. The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted April 4-7 among 1,003 […]

report | Apr 11, 2013

How Do Americans Feel About Doing Their Taxes?

Ben Franklin once said that nothing in life is certain, but death and taxes. More than two centuries later, taxes remain a yearly ritual for most Americans. Most say they dislike – or even hate – doing their taxes, but about a third say they like it – or even love it. Click through the […]

report | Apr 8, 2013

Gun Debate Draws More Interest than Immigration Policy Debate

Overview As Congress returns to Washington to resume work on gun control and immigration legislation, the public is paying far closer attention to news about the gun control debate than news about the debate over immigration policy. A national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted April 4-7 among 1,003 adults, finds 37% say they […]

report | Apr 4, 2013

Majority Now Supports Legalizing Marijuana

Report For the first time in more than four decades of polling on the issue, a majority of Americans favor legalizing the use of marijuana. A national survey finds that 52% say that the use of marijuana should be made legal while 45% say it should not. Support for legalizing marijuana has risen 11 points […]

report | Apr 2, 2013

Keystone XL Pipeline Draws Broad Support

Overview As the Obama administration approaches a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a national survey finds broad public support for the project. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada’s oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Just 23% oppose construction of the pipeline. Support […]

report | Mar 28, 2013

Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive

Overview A new survey finds that seven-in-ten Americans (71%) say there should be a way for people in the United States illegally to remain in this country if they meet certain requirements, while 27% say they should not be allowed to stay legally. Most who favor providing illegal immigrants with some form of legal status […]

report | Mar 25, 2013

Supreme Court’s Favorable Rating Still at Historic Low

Overview As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on two same-sex marriage cases, and with several other high-profile cases on its docket, the court’s favorability rating remains close to an all-time low. A national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17 among 1,501 adults, finds that 52% view the court favorably, while […]

report | Mar 22, 2013

The GOP’s Staunch Conservative Problem

The outsize influence of hard-line elements in the party base is doing to the GOP what supporters of Gene McCarthy and George McGovern did to the Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s — radicalizing its image and standing in the way of its revitalization. Read the commentary on The Washington Post site.

report | Mar 21, 2013

Obama Job Approval Slips as Economic Pessimism Rises

Overview Barack Obama’s job approval rating has tumbled since shortly after his re-election, as the public’s economic expectations for the coming year have soured. Despite substantial public awareness of recent gains in the stock market and rebounding real-estate values, the percentage saying economic conditions will get worse over the next year has risen to its […]

report | Mar 20, 2013

Growing Support for Gay Marriage: Changed Minds and Changing Demographics

Overview The rise in support for same-sex marriage over the past decade is among the largest changes in opinion on any policy issue over this time period. A new national survey finds that much of the shift is attributable to the arrival of a large cohort of young adults – the Millennial generation – who […]

report | Mar 18, 2013

A Decade Later, Iraq War Divides the Public

Overview A decade after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the public offers a divided judgment of the war: 46% say the U.S. has mostly succeeded in achieving its goals in Iraq, about as many (43%) say it has mostly failed. The public also is split over the original decision to use military force in Iraq. […]

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