report | Aug 25, 2014

Few Say Police Forces Nationally Do Well in Treating Races Equally

Amid continuing tensions over the police shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Mo., most Americans give relatively low marks to police departments around the country for holding officers accountable for misconduct, using the appropriate amount of force, and treating racial and ethnic groups equally. However, most also continue to express at least a fair […]

report | Aug 18, 2014

Support for U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq; Concern About Getting Too Involved

As fighting rages in Iraq, most Americans (54%) say they approve of U.S. airstrikes against Islamic militants there, while 31% disapprove. But while the public backs airstrikes, there is widespread concern about the U.S. becoming too involved in Iraq. Overall, 51% say their greater concern about military action is that the U.S. will go too […]

report | Aug 18, 2014

Stark Racial Divisions in Reactions to Ferguson Police Shooting

Blacks and whites have sharply different reactions to the police shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Mo., and the protests and violence that followed. Blacks are about twice as likely as whites to say that the shooting of Michael Brown “raises important issues about race that need to be discussed.” Wide racial differences also […]

report | Aug 5, 2014

Modest Improvement in Views of Economic News

Survey Report Amid recent reports on the U.S. unemployment rate and gross domestic product, public views of economic news have improved modestly since February. A 64%-majority of the public says they are hearing “a mix of both good and bad news” about the economy these days, little changed over the last several months. But about […]

report | Jul 31, 2014

Shifting Views of Supreme Court’s Ideology among Liberals, Conservatives

Survey Report Overall views of the U.S. Supreme Court – and its ideology – have changed only modestly since last measured in April before the court’s end-of-term decisions, including the Hobby Lobby ruling that limits the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive requirement. But among liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans there have been sizable changes in opinions […]

report | Jul 28, 2014

Far More Continue to View Russia as a ‘Serious Problem’ Than as an ‘Adversary’

Survey Report Most Americans still are not inclined to view Russia as an adversary, though the share saying Russia represents a serious problem has continued to increase, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Currently, 26% of the public says that Russia is an adversary, while 49% think it is a serious […]

report | Jul 28, 2014

Hamas Seen as More to Blame Than Israel for Current Violence

Survey Report As fighting continues to rage in Gaza amid calls for a cease-fire, about twice as many Americans say Hamas (40%) as Israel (19%) is responsible for the current violence. Just a quarter (25%) believe that Israel has gone too far in responding to the conflict; far more think Israel’s response has been about […]

report | Jul 24, 2014

GOP Has Midterm Engagement Advantage

The Republican Party holds a clear advantage in voter engagement in this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center. Yet GOP voters are not as enthused and engaged as they were at this point in the midterm campaign four years ago, prior to the Republican Party winning control […]

report | Jul 18, 2014

Most Think the U.S. Has No Responsibility To Act in Iraq

Survey Report As violence and chaos spreads in Iraq, the public is wary of U.S. involvement in the country. A 55% majority says the United States does not have a responsibility to do something about the violence in Iraq; 39% do see a responsibility to act. Overall public awareness of the situation in Iraq is […]

report | Jul 16, 2014

Surge of Central American Children Roils U.S. Immigration Debate

Survey Report As the president and Congress struggle over how to deal with the influx of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America across the U.S.-Mexican border, a new survey finds that the public favors a shift in U.S. policy to expedite the legal processing of the children. President Obama gets very low ratings for […]

report | Jul 15, 2014

As Mideast Violence Continues, a Wide Partisan Gap in Israel-Palestinian Sympathies

Survey Report As violence between Israel and Hamas shows no signs of abating, the sympathies of the American public continue to lie with Israel rather than the Palestinians. And dating back to the late 1970s, the partisan gap in Mideast sympathies has never been wider. Currently, 51% of Americans say that in the dispute between […]

report | Jun 26, 2014

Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology

Our latest political typology sorts voters into cohesive groups based on their attitudes and values and provides a field guide for the constantly changing political landscape.

report | Jun 12, 2014

Political Polarization in the American Public

Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent history. And these trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life.

report | Jun 9, 2014

Public Has Doubts about Bergdahl Prisoner Exchange

Survey Report The prisoner exchange that freed U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban in Afghanistan gets a more negative than positive reaction from the public. Overall, 43% say it was the wrong thing for the Obama administration to exchange five Taliban prisoners for captive soldier Bergdahl, while fewer (34%) say it was the right […]

report | May 19, 2014

For 2016 Hopefuls, Washington Experience Could Do More Harm than Good

Survey Report As the 2016 presidential campaign begins to take shape, Washington experience has become less of a potential asset for those seeking the White House. A new national survey testing candidate traits finds that 30% would be less likely to support a candidate with “many years” of experience as an elected official in Washington, […]

report | May 6, 2014

Supreme Court Favorability Rebounds

Survey Report Favorable views of the Supreme Court are back above 50%, having rebounded from historic lows reached in the summer of 2013. However, the court still has several major decisions pending that could impact the public’s views, including rulings on challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that employers include contraceptive coverage in their […]

report | May 5, 2014

Midterm Election Indicators Daunting for Democrats

With the midterm elections six months away, Democrats are burdened by an uneven economic recovery and a stubbornly unpopular health care law. Perhaps equally important, Barack Obama’s political standing is in some respects weaker than it was at a comparable point in the 2010 campaign, which ended with the Republicans gaining a majority in the […]

report | Apr 29, 2014

Public Divided over Whether Israel, Independent Palestinian State Can Coexist

Survey Report Amid the breakdown of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, the public is divided over whether a way can be found for a peaceful two-state solution in the Middle East. Overall, 46% say an independent Palestinian state can coexist peacefully with Israel, 44% do not think this can happen. A year ago, […]

report | Apr 28, 2014

Bipartisan Support for Increased U.S. Sanctions against Russia

Survey Report As the Obama administration announces new economic measures against Russian officials and companies, the public supports increased U.S. economic and diplomatic sanctions by a 53% to 36% margin. But by roughly two-to-one (62% to 30%), Americans oppose sending arms and military supplies to the Ukrainian government. The new national survey by the Pew […]

report | Apr 10, 2014

More Republicans See Health Care Stance as ‘Very Important’ to Midterm Vote

Survey Report In looking ahead to this fall’s elections, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view a candidate’s position on the Affordable Care Act as very important to their vote. A new national survey finds that 64% of Republican registered voters say a candidate’s stance on the health care law will be very important […]

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