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  • short reads

    As 2014 brings new state laws, a look at public opinion on the issues

    Every new year means adding thousands of new state laws to the books. This year’s wide range includes everything from tanning bed age limits (Illinois), to a new ban on selling shark fins (Delaware). While most new laws represent incremental change, sometimes state laws can also signal broader movement on a public policy issue or […]

  • short reads

    Obama had strong support from LGBT adults even before stance on Sochi Olympics

    President Obama said the inclusion of openly gay athletes in the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia underscores American values. Obama and his administration had been viewed positively by LGBT Americans even before this most recent expression of support for LGBT rights.

  • report

    In Deficit Debate, Public Resists Cuts in Entitlements and Aid to Poor

    Survey Report As President Obama prepares to sign a bipartisan budget agreement that its proponents describe as a modest step toward addressing the deficit, the public shows little appetite for making some of the spending cuts often discussed as part of a broader “grand bargain” on the budget. The latest national survey by the Pew […]

  • short reads

    What ails America? Dr. Google can tell you

    Dr. Google’s waiting room was crowded in 2013. Online search has become an easy way for people to learn more about what’s ailing them, either to self-diagnose or find a remedy.

  • presentation

    Privacy, Confidentiality, and the Use of Data

    Lee Rainie will discuss privacy, confidentiality, and the use of data at the 2013 meeting of the Pacific Chapter of the American Association for Public Opinion Research

  • short reads

    A year after Newtown, little change in public opinion on guns

    After the horrific shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., a year ago claiming the lives of 20 children and six adults, there was a sense in the country – especially among gun-control supporters — that the tragedy would be different from similar ones in the past and push the nation to action. But ultimately, a sustained change in public opinion did not materialize, and a bill to tighten gun laws died in the Senate.

  • report

    About the Survey

    The analysis for this report is based on telephone interviews conducted December 3-8, 2013 among a national sample of 2,001 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (1,000 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 1,001 were interviewed on a cell phone, including […]

  • report

    Obama Job Rating Regains Some Ground, But 2013 Has Taken a Toll

    Survey Report For the first time since last spring, Barack Obama’s steadily declining job rating has shown a modest improvement. And while his signature legislative accomplishment – the 2010 health care law – remains unpopular, Obama engenders much more public confidence on health care policy than do Republican leaders in Congress. The flawed rollout of […]

  • report

    Limited Support for Iran Nuclear Agreement

    Survey Report The public is reacting skeptically to last month’s multilateral agreement aimed at freezing parts of Iran’s nuclear program. Overall, more disapprove than approve of the deal, and there continues to be broad skepticism about whether Iranian leaders are serious about addressing international concerns over the country’s nuclear program. The latest national survey by […]