Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Home Research Topics Politics & Policy Political Issues

Political Issues

All

Political Issues

Publications

Refine Your Results

  • report

    ‘Borders First’ a Dividing Line in Immigration Debate

    Overview As the Senate works toward a compromise on immigration reform, the emerging proposal addresses two widely-held public goals. Broad majorities – across party lines – continue to support a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. And large majorities also say this legislation must include increased border security. But the public is divided on an […]

  • short reads

    Ahead of same-sex marriage decisions, what you need to know

    The Supreme Court is expected to rule imminently on two laws seeking to block same-sex marriage — the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8. Here’s a summary of major findings related to the issue.

  • short reads

    Chart of the Week: The ’young invincibles’ and health insurance

    One of the phrases coined during the debate over President Obama’s health care overhaul was the “young invincibles,” referring to the large share of young adults who did not have health insurance  because they thought their age made it less likely they would get sick, or just were not in a position to afford coverage.  […]

  • short reads

    Young Americans and privacy: ’It’s complicated’

    Despite their “share everything” image, privacy still matters for young American adults. But they distinguish between information they voluntarily share on social-networking sites and systematic monitoring by government agencies of telephone and internet traffic. In response to revelations last week that the NSA is conducting such surveillance of Americans, government officials told Congress this week that […]

  • report

    Arab Spring Adds to Global Restrictions on Religion

    Pew Research’s fourth major report on global restrictions on religion finds that the share of countries with high or very high restrictions on religion rose from 37% in 2010 to 40% in 2011. The Middle East and North Africa continued to have the highest levels of restrictions in the year when much of the Arab Spring uprisings occurred, with social hostilities involving religion increasing markedly and government restrictions remaining high.