Public Sees Better Year Ahead; Democrats Sharpen Focus on Midterm Elections
A majority of Americans say 2018 will be a better year than 2017, a shift from a year ago when public expectations were far less positive.
A Divided and Pessimistic Electorate
Survey report Beyond their disagreements over specific policy issues, voters who supported President-elect Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton also differed over the seriousness of a wide array of problems facing the nation, from immigration and crime to inequality and racism. And while voters generally said little progress has been made over the last eight years […]
As Election Nears, Voters Divided Over Democracy and ‘Respect’
As the presidential campaign enters its final days, opinions about American democracy and the candidates’ respect for democratic institutions – as well their respect for women, minorities and other groups in society– have emerged as political flashpoints. Donald Trump is widely seen as having little or no respect for Muslims, women, Hispanics and blacks. Moreover, […]
In Presidential Contest, Voters Say ‘Basic Facts,’ Not Just Policies, Are in Dispute
n the contentious weeks leading up to Election Day, voters are deeply divided over the candidates, major issues and the nation’s past and future course. And, in a new survey, most voters say these differences even extend to disputes over basic facts.
In Their Own Words: Why Voters Support – and Have Concerns About – Clinton and Trump
Voters who support Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump offer a variety of reasons why they do so, ranging from the candidates’ issue positions to their personal backgrounds.
Clinton, Trump Supporters Have Starkly Different Views of a Changing Nation
Supporters of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump disagree on a range of policy issues, from terrorism to free trade. Yet they also have more fundamental differences over long-term changes in the country and the next generation’s future prospects.
In Clinton’s March to Nomination, Many Democrats Changed Their Minds
Survey report Hillary Clinton led Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination in every Pew Research Center survey conducted throughout the party’s primaries. But many Democratic voters vacillated in their candidate support throughout this period. Today, however, overwhelming shares of all Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters – including 90% who consistently supported Sanders for the nomination […]
For GOP Voters, a Winding Path to a Trump Nomination
Survey report When Pew Research Center first asked Republican voters their preferences for the GOP presidential nomination in March 2015, just 1% volunteered Donald Trump as their first choice. Thirteen months later, Trump was the first choice of 44% of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters, more than any of his rivals. Today, 88% of these […]
2016 Campaign: Strong Interest, Widespread Dissatisfaction
As Republicans and Democrats prepare for their party conventions later this month, a new national survey paints a bleak picture of voters’ impressions of the presidential campaign and the choices they face in November.
2012 Republican Primary Voters: More Conservative Than GOP General Election Voters
Survey Report Next week, Republican voters will begin the process of selecting their party’s 2016 presidential nominee. One of the major questions will be which GOP voters turn out, and which stay home. A person’s past voting history can be a powerful predictor of future turnout. A new analysis of the Republican electorate in 2012, […]
Debates Help Fuel Strong Interest in 2016 Campaign
Survey Report As candidates in both parties prepare for the next round of presidential debates, a new national survey finds that the public is highly engaged by the 2016 campaign. Fully 74% of Americans say they have given a lot or some thought to the candidates, higher than the shares saying this at comparable points […]
Contrasting Partisan Perspectives on Campaign 2016
Survey Report With four months to go before the first presidential nomination contests, Republican and Democratic voters have sharply different perspectives on their parties’ campaigns – from the qualities they value in candidates to the assessments of their presidential fields and the issues they prioritize. Since March, the share of all registered voters who say […]
Republicans’ Early Views of GOP Field More Positive Than in 2012, 2008 Campaigns
Survey Report From the start, the Republican presidential field for 2016 has been much more crowded than the Democratic field. But voters in each party have similar views of the quality of their party’s candidates. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say they have an excellent or good impression of their party’s presidential […]
Campaign 2016: Modest Interest, High Stakes
Survey Report The 2016 presidential campaign has gotten off to a slow start with voters. A majority of registered voters (58%) say they have given at least some thought to candidates who may run for president in 2016, but that is 10 points lower than at a comparable point in the 2008 campaign – the […]
Little Enthusiasm, Familiar Divisions After the GOP’s Big Midterm Victory
Survey Report After a sweeping midterm election victory on Nov. 4, the Republican Party retook full control of Congress. But the public has mixed reactions to the GOP’s big win – much as it did four years ago, after Republicans gained control of the House though not the Senate. The post-election survey by the Pew […]
Fewer Voters Report Getting Robo-Calls, Campaign Ads Still Pervasive
Survey Report Voters are reporting roughly similar levels of contact from political campaigns and groups as four years ago, with one notable exception. The share of voters who say they have received a phone call about the election has fallen 12 points since mid-October 2010, from 59% to 47%. This decline has been driven by […]
As Midterms Near, GOP Leads on Key Issues, Democrats Have a More Positive Image
Survey Report With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, the Republican Party holds significant leads on several major issues. Voters say the GOP could do a better job than the Democrats on the economy, and the Republicans hold double-digit advantages on both terrorism and the budget deficit. However, the Democrats have advantages on […]
Political Polarization in Action: Insights into the 2014 Election from the American Trends Panel
Survey Report The Pew Research Center has developed a new tool for looking at the 2014 elections – a panel survey that enables us to check in with the same representative group of Americans several times during the course of the campaign. This survey includes far more information about respondents than is found in a […]
Wide Partisan Differences Over the Issues That Matter in 2014
Republican and Democratic voters are split not only over their candidate preferences, but also about the importance of key issues in the election.
Republicans Open Up Wider ‘Expectations Gap’ Ahead of Midterms
Survey Report With just over two months before the midterm elections, Republican voters are widening the “expectations gap” with the Democrats. About six-in-ten (61%) Republican and GOP-leaning registered voters think their party will do better than in recent elections — roughly double the share of Democrats (32%) who feel similarly about their party’s chances. This […]
