/>Recent PublicationsPewResearch.org features major reports, data-driven commentary and analysis, news stories, transcripts and presentations on trends in public opinion and related
policy issues in the Pew Research Center's areas of special concentration: U.S. public opinion, global attitudes, the news media, the impact of the internet on American life, the role of religion in public life, the changing experiences of Hispanics in America and social and demographic trends.
When the material resides on project sites, summaries appear on the PewResearch.org site, with links to the full documents on the particular project web site. The
archive of past reports and other features include material posted directly on pewresearch.org beginning in February 2006. Complete lists of all project reports and other features, including archives of material released prior to February 2006, can be found on the individual project websites.
How the Media Covered Religion
Obama Gets Most Coverage, Much of It on False Rumor He Is a Muslim
20 Nov 08Religion played a much more significant role in press treatment of Obama than of McCain during the 2008 campaign, but much of the coverage related to false
yet persistent rumors that Obama is a Muslim.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Detroit’s Troubles Driving Attention to Economy, Bailout Opposition Rises
Diminishing Support for Government Bailout Plan
20 Nov 08With the presidential election behind them, Americans have turned their attention back to the nation’s economy, though nearly half say they feel angry when
seeing or hearing such reports.
Fact Tank
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Never-Ending Story: Palin and Hillary Still Making News
18 Nov 08The country’s weakened economy rivaled the presidential transition as top story of the week while much coverage focused on two women who ran losing
campaigns for the executive branch.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
When Technology Fails
16 Nov 08Need help in setting up that new computer? Feel frustrated when your cellphone acts up? According to a new Pew Internet Project survey, you are far from
alone.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
High Hopes
14 Nov 08Barack Obama won only 53% of the vote on Election Day, but he is getting a landslide greeting from the American public with voters giving Obama better
grades for his conduct during the campaign than any presidential candidate since 1988.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Post-Election Perspectives
13 Nov 08In remarks at a dinner at the Newseum hosted by the Roper Center, Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut analyzed the voter preferences revealed in
exit and post-election polls and their implications for the incoming administration.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Gay Marriage at the Ballot Box
13 Nov 08Prior to Massachusetts becoming the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003, only three states had passed constitutional amendments prohibiting
the practice. With amendments in California, Arizona and Florida passing this November, the number of states now stands at 29. A graphic charts the recent history of voter-approved state bans on gay marriage.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Global Media Celebrate Obama Victory -- But Cautious Too
A Changed View of American Democracy
13 Nov 08"GOBAMA!" gushed Britain's Daily Mirror the day after Barack Obama's electoral victory. Other newspapers around the world were scarcely less enthusiastic but notes of concern and discord were also registered.
Pew Global Attitudes Project
High Marks for Campaign, High Bar for Obama
13 Nov 08A week after the election, voters are feeling good about themselves, the presidential campaign and Barack Obama. Looking ahead, they have high
expectations for the Obama administration, with two-thirds predicting that he will have a successful first term.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Young Voters in the 2008 Election
12 Nov 08This year, 66% of those under age 30 voted for Barack Obama making the disparity between young voters and other age groups larger than in any presidential
election since exit polling began in 1972.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Few Will Miss Campaign News
Public's Favorite -- and Least Favorite -- Campaign Journalists
12 Nov 08The 2008 campaign set records for interest and will long be remembered (in fact, 23% of Americans are saving a post-election newspaper), but fully 82% of
Americans will have no problem taking election news out of their lives. Also, Bill O’Reilly comes in as American’s favorite -- and least favorite -- campaign commentator.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
States Made History on November 4, Too
11 Nov 08Barack Obama wasn't the only one to make history on Election Day 2008. Statehouses also broke ground on several fronts.
Special to the Pew Research Center
Media Moment: History, Trends and Transition Dominate News Coverage
11 Nov 08When the campaign was finally over, the media almost immediately viewed Barack Obama's victory as a transformational event, and a subject that had been in
some ways taboo moved front and center - race.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
In Brief: Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
6 Nov 08May a locality that allows one religious group to erect a monument in a city park deny that privilege to another religious sect? On Nov. 12, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of Pleasant Grove City v. Summum.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
A Roundup of State Ballot Measures
6 Nov 08Gay marriage bans were among the most closely watched of the 153 measures on 36 states' ballots this year, a list that included scores of politically explosive
social and fiscal issues including abortion, doctor-assisted suicide and various efforts to roll back state taxes.
Special to the Pew Research Center
Election Weekend News Interest Hits 20-Year High
Top Events of Campaign 2008
6 Nov 08Fully 60% of voters followed campaign news very closely this weekend, the highest level of interest on the eve of an election since the Pew Research Center
began tracking campaign news interest in 1988. Throughout the campaign, Americans said they were hearing more about Obama than about McCain, although analysis
shows news coverage became closely balanced between the two candidates.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
How Hispanics Voted in the 2008 Election
5 Nov 08Hispanics voted for Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden over Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin by a margin of more than two-to-one according to an
analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of exit polls, with Latino youth supporting the Democratic ticket by an even wider margin.
Pew Hispanic Center
Inside Obama's Sweeping Victory
5 Nov 08Barack Obama captured the White House on the strength of a substantial electoral shift toward the Democratic Party and by winning a number of key groups in
the middle of the electorate. In particular, the overwhelming backing of younger voters was a critical factor in Obama's victory, according to an analysis of National Election Pool exit poll data.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Voting Religiously
5 Nov 08President-elect Barack Obama made a concerted effort to reach out to people of faith during the 2008 presidential campaign, and early exit polls show that this
outreach may have paid off on Election Day.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Strategy Session: Media Focused on Polls and Maps in Final Week
4 Nov 08If ever there is a time when campaigns are horse races, it is in the final days, and coverage was indeed largely about the contest itself.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Obama Leads McCain 52% to 46% in Campaign's Final Days
McCain Narrows Gap
2 Nov 08The Pew Research Center's final pre-election poll of 2,587 likely voters finds 49% supporting or leaning to Obama, 42% for McCain; 2% for minor party
candidates and 7% undecided. When the undecided vote is allocated, Obama holds a 52% to 46% lead over McCain. The survey was conducted from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Democrats Post Gains in Affiliation Across Age Cohorts
31 Oct 08The proportion of voters identifying with the Democratic Party has grown significantly since the 2004 election, and the shift has been particularly dramatic
among younger voters.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Internet Now Major Source of Campaign News
Continuing Partisan Divide in Cable TV News Audiences
31 Oct 08Television remains the dominant source, but the percent of people who say they get most of their campaign news from the internet has tripled since 2004.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Will Obama Win the White Catholic Vote?
31 Oct 08White Catholics have traditionally been swing voters but their recent apparent shift from support for McCain to Obama was both sharp and swift. What explains it?
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Xenophobia on the Continent
30 Oct 08A growing minority of citizens in several European countries holds unfavorable opinions of Jews. Negative views of Israel, sympathy with the Palestinian cause, rising anti-Americanism, and a backlash against globalization and immigration all play a role in this trend.
Pew Global Attitudes Project
Democrats Hold Party ID Edge Across Political Battleground
30 Oct 08As shown in a series of charts, the Democratic Party now holds an advantage in several swing states, has increased its advantage in several "blue" states and
cut into the GOP's lead in some "red" states since the last presidential campaign.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The Element of Surprise
30 Oct 08As recently as a month ago, this analyst and the American public itself were throwing up our hands and saying we can't figure this one out -- too many
intangibles. No more.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Palin Fatigue Now Rivals Obama Fatigue
SNL Appearance, Wardrobe Flap Register Widely
30 Oct 08Sarah Palin's new wardrobe caught the public's eye but media coverage focused far more on the presidential candidates. Still, more Americans say they've
been hearing too much about Palin than say they've heard too much about Obama.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Exit Poll Preview
An Interview with Joe Lenski
29 Oct 08In an exclusive interview, Joe Lenski, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Edison Media Research discusses his organization's plans for conducting exit polls on November 4, given this year's special challenges.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
The Color Of News: How Different Media Have Covered the General Election
29 Oct 08When it comes to coverage of the campaign for president 2008, where one goes for news makes a difference, according to a new study.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Among Florida's Hispanics, Voter Registration Swings Democratic
29 Oct 08Unlike in the rest of the country, the Latino vote in the Sunshine State has tended to be heavily Republican; but changing politics and demographics have
produced a substantial shift in electoral rolls.
Pew Hispanic Center
Swing States Sway Campaign Media
28 Oct 08In the final days of the race for president, seemingly nothing but the algebra of the electoral map appears to have staying power.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
McCain Support Continues Downward Spiral
Obama Leads by 19 Among Those Who Have Already Voted
28 Oct 08A breakdown of voting intentions by demographic groups shows that since mid- September, McCain's support has declined significantly across most voting
blocs.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Brutalism v. Church: A Congregation Sues D.C. Over Historic Landmarking
27 Oct 08To the city of Washington DC, it’s a classic example of Brutalist architecture; to church members, it’s a costly concrete block that obstructs their ability to practice their Christian Science faith.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Depressed Economy Wallops States
24 Oct 08With calendar 2008 nearing an end, Stateline.org's annual state-by-state review of major accomplishments finds lawmakers girding for big spending cuts in
2009 and beyond.
Special to the Pew Research Center
Republicans: Still Happy Campers
23 Oct 08Despite the imploding stock market, the looming recession, the unpopular president and discouraging political polls, a new Social Trends survey finds GOP
adherents still beat Democrats on the happiness scale.
Social & Demographic Trends
Liberal Democrats Top Conservative Republicans in Donations, Activism
More Than a Quarter of Voters Read Political Blogs
23 Oct 08With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, voters remain riveted to the presidential campaign. But liberal Democrats are engaging in far more
activism than other partisan and ideological groups.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Latinos Account for Half of U.S. Population Growth Since 2000
23 Oct 08A new Pew Hispanic Center report analyzes changes in Latino growth and settlement patterns over the past three decades. The report includes a series of
interactive maps and data bases that provide demographic information about the Latino population in each of the nation's 50 states and 3,141 counties.
Pew Hispanic Center
Most Voters Say News Media Wants Obama to Win
"Joe the Plumber" a Top Campaign Story
22 Oct 08By a margin of 70%-9%, voters say most journalists want to see Obama, not McCain, win on Nov. 4. Since 1992, voters have consistently believed the media
favor the Democratic candidate, but this year's margin is especially wide.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Canvassing Campaign Media: An Analysis of Time, Tone and Topics
22 Oct 08Coverage of the presidential race has not so much cast Obama in a favorable light as it has portrayed McCain in a substantially negative one, according to a
new study of the media.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Doubts Grow About McCain's Judgment, Age and Campaign
Obama's Lead Widens: 52%-38%
21 Oct 08Obama is inspiring more confidence on several key issues, including Iraq and terrorism, than he did before the debates, and his margin over McCain as the
candidate best able to improve economic conditions has grown.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Polls and Plumbers Drive Narrative
21 Oct 08Campaign coverage increasingly focused on tactics -- including McCain's invocation of an Ohio plumber to represent the working man - as well as fights in
battleground states and the parade of polls.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Networked Families
19 Oct 08Parents and spouses are using the internet and cell phones to create a "new connectedness" that builds on remote connections and shared internet
experiences.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Ten Years of U.S. Efforts to Promote Religious Freedom
17 Oct 08A scholar describes the controversy surrounding the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998 and discusses its impact worldwide.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
Poll Power
17 Oct 08Though by no means a perfect instrument, polls make it possible for more opinions, held by a broader and more representative range of citizens, to be known
to the government and thus, potentially, heeded.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Campaign Seen As Increasingly Negative
McCain Ads Seen as Less Truthful
16 Oct 08The campaign received more media coverage than the financial crisis for the first time in a month, but nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) list either economic
conditions or the stock market drop as the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Campaign Tactics and Tone Trump Economy in Media Narratives
15 Oct 08For the first time in a month, the election generated more coverage than the financial crisis and almost one-third of that coverage was connected to the
increasingly harsh tone of the campaign.
Project for Excellence in Journalism
Who Knows News? What You Read or View Matters, but Not Your Politics
15 Oct 08Where you turn for news may say a lot about how much you actually know. So who scores higher on a political knowledge quiz? Hardball or Hannity & Colmes?
Newspapers or network news? Stewart or Colbert?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Public Worried But Not Panicked About Economy
Obama Clearer than McCain in Addressing Crisis, Holds Sizeable Lead in Matchup
15 Oct 08Americans are concerned about the nation’s economic problems and they register the lowest level of national satisfaction ever measured in a Pew survey. But there is little indication that the nation’s financial crisis has triggered public panic or despair.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Escalating Financial Crisis Grips States
10 Oct 08A week after President Bush signed a $700-billion bailout plan for Wall Street, the financial crisis has deepened in many state capitals with tight credit markets and new, pessimistic budget figures that pose the biggest threat to states' fiscal health in 25 years.
Special to the Pew Research Center