Section 8: Domestic and Foreign Policy Views
Generations Divide on Some—Not All—Social Issues As discussed in Sections 1 and 4, different generations of Americans have starkly different views on some of the social changes occurring in the country today. That’s particularly the case when it comes to trends related to diversity, homosexuality, and secularism. While Millennials tend to take a more liberal […]
Section 4: Views of the Nation
The last 50 years have seen dramatic demographic, social and technological changes in this country, and different generations of Americans have their own distinct reactions to these changes. The racial and ethnic makeup of the country has been transformed. The 1950s-era nuclear family is now just one of a growing variety of family arrangements. And […]
Section 1: How Generations Have Changed
The age differences in political attitudes and voting choices in the past three election cycles have been driven by three broad social and political trends. The first is the growing racial and ethnic diversity of the country, reflected in the rising percentage of non-whites among younger age cohorts. Non-whites have been far more supportive of […]
Section 2: Value Divides Within Party Coalitions
The new political typology provides further evidence of deep and enduring partisan divisions over political attitudes and preferences. Yet an analysis of the typology groups’ fundamental political values also shows significant cleavages within both parties’ core groups and their broader coalitions over attitudes toward business, immigration, religion, the environment and other issues. Looking at the […]
Few Say Religion Shapes Immigration, Environment Views
Many Americans continue to say their religious beliefs have been highly influential in shaping their views about social issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage. But far fewer cite religion as a top influence on their opinions about several other social and political issues, including how the government should deal with immigration, the environment and […]
Where the Public Stands on Immigration Reform
Part 2: Bush and the Issues
Shortly after President Bush took office in February 2001, no single issue stood out as the top national problem, though morality and ethics were mentioned most frequently (at just 12%); fewer than 1% cited terrorism. There was no clear public consensus about the nettlesome issue that was confronting policymakers – how to spend the federal […]
The Immigration Divide
Attitudes Toward Immigration in Red and Blue
Attitudes Toward Immigration: In Black and White
The issue of immigration leaves many Americans deeply conflicted. But the social and economic cross-pressures may be greatest on African Americans, who express relatively positive opinions of immigrants even as they view them as competitors for scarce job opportunities. Read complete poll analysis at pewresearch.org
Section I – Immigration: How Big a Problem?
Most Americans do not regard immigration as a pressing concern — either for the nation or for their local community. Just 4% of all Americans volunteer immigration as the most important problem facing the country, and about the same number (3%) point to immigration as the biggest problem facing their community. Yet there are pockets […]
Section II – Concerns About Immigrants
Most Americans express some concern about the growing immigrant population in one way or another, but the nature of those concerns vary and are expressed with varying intensity by different segments of the population. Competition for jobs, the erosion of traditional American values, the costs to local government and the threats of terrorism and crime […]
America’s Immigration Quandary
Introduction Americans are increasingly concerned about immigration. A growing number believe that immigrants are a burden to the country, taking jobs and housing and creating strains on the health care system. Many people also worry about the cultural impact of the expanding number of newcomers in the U.S. Yet the public remains largely divided in […]
Section V – Metropolitan Area Surveys
In addition to the national survey of 2,000 Americans, separate surveys were conducted in the metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Arizona (N=800), Las Vegas, Nevada (N=801), Chicago, Illinois (N=801), Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (N=801), and Washington, DC (N=800). The five metropolitan areas were chosen because they have different histories with respect to immigration and because each has […]
Economy, Iraq Weighing Down Bush Popularity
Summary of Findings Americans are critical of President Bush’s job performance in many policy areas, but negative opinions of his handling of the economy and Iraq are doing the most damage to his overall approval rating, which now stands at 43%. Just 35% approve of the president’s handling of the economy, down from 43% in […]
A Global Generation Gap
Adapting to a New World
Part 3: Foreign Policy, International Threats and Patriotism
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks profoundly affected the way Americans view national security threats and their own sense of personal safety. But for the most part, the public’s views about global engagement and the role of military power have stayed fairly stable since the Center began its values surveys 16 years ago. The public is […]
Other Important Findings and Analyses
Not Much Going On… The public is unimpressed with the performance of the 105th Congress thus far. When asked to name the most important thing that has happened in the new Congress so far this year, fully 72% could not cite a single item. Those who responded gave a random assortment of legislative initiatives, led […]
The People, the Press & Politics
Report Summary Reflecting a dramatically changed environment in America and the world, the voter typology which Times Mirror created in 1987 has been modified to make it more responsive to the new values and attitudes that affect voter behavior in 1994. We present it as “The People, The Press and Politics: The New Political Landscape.” […]
