Obama Administration Weighs In on Gay Marriage Case
The Obama administration has submitted a “friend-of-the-court” brief on the legal challenge to California’s gay marriage ban, which will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Hagel Better Known, Viewed More Negatively
Overview Unfavorable opinions of Chuck Hagel have increased over the past month as he has faced a bruising confirmation battle to become President Obama’s secretary of defense. A national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Feb. 14-17 among 1,003 adults, finds that 22% have a favorable opinion of Hagel while 28% have an unfavorable […]
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Most Approve of Ending Saturday Mail Delivery
Overview A majority of Americans (54%) approve of the U.S. Postal Service’s recent decision to halt Saturday delivery of letters, while 32% disapprove of the decision. The planned end of Saturday mail delivery is a rare government decision that garners bipartisan support – 58% of independents approve of the action, as do 57% of Republicans […]
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The Contraception Mandate and Religious Liberty
On Feb. 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new rules for how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate applies to religious nonprofits, including houses of worship, schools and hospitals. Church-state law scholars Ira C. Lupu and Robert Tuttle explain the new rules and the legal arguments that religious groups might make.
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Majority Says the Federal Government Threatens Their Personal Rights
Overview As Barack Obama begins his second term in office, trust in the federal government remains mired near a historic low, while frustration with government remains high. And for the first time, a majority of the public says that the federal government threatens their personal rights and freedoms. The latest national survey by the Pew […]
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Broad Support for Combat Roles for Women
Overview The public broadly supports the military’s decision to lift restrictions on women in combat. Two-thirds (66%) support allowing women in the military to serve in ground units that engage in close combat, while just 26% are opposed. Opinion on this question is little changed from a Washington Post/ABC News survey two years ago. The […]
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The Tahrir Square Legacy: Egyptians Want Democracy, a Better Economy, and a Major Role for Islam
Two years after Egyptians first poured into Cairo’s Tahrir Square chanting “Down with Mubarak” the legacy of the Arab Spring remains uncertain. Polling since the uprising shows that Egyptians want democratic rights and institutions, a major role for Islam in political life, and an improved economy – a challenging set of demands for the new cadre of Egyptian leaders.
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Public Opinion on Abortion and Roe v. Wade
Public Opinion on Abortion and Roe v. Wade 2013-01-18 Jan. 22, 2013, is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. A quarter of the U.S. public (25%) sees abortion as morally wrong and would like to have the decision completely overturned, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
