Latest Reports

A Paradox in Public Attitudes

Men or Women: Who's the Better Leader?

A Paradox in Public Attitudes
25 Aug 08 Americans believe women have the right stuff to be political leaders. When it comes to honesty, intelligence and a handful of other character traits they value highly in leaders, the public rates women superior to men, according to a new nationwide Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey.

Nevertheless, a mere 6% of respondents say that, overall, women make better political leaders than men. About one-in-five (21%) say men make the better leaders, while the vast majority -- 69% -- say men and women make equally good leaders.

In an era when women have made many strides, relatively few have made it to the highest levels of political or corporate leadership. Why not? The public cites gender discrimination, resistance to change, and a self-serving "old boys club" among the biggest reasons.

America's Four Middle Classes

America's Four Middle Classes
29 Jul 08 There isn't one American middle class; there are four. Each is different from the others in its attitudes, outlook and financial circumstance--sometimes in ways that defy traditional stereotypes of the middle class, according to an analysis of a recent national survey conducted by the Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends Project.

Taken together, this statistical typology of the four middle classes paints a nuanced picture of the American middle class and those who claim membership in it. Rather than demographically and culturally monotonic, America's middle class is an amalgam of distinct groups that share different outlooks on life and life experiences.

Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation

Baby Boomers Gloomiest
25 Jun 08 America's baby boomers are in a collective funk. Members of the large generation born from 1946 to 1964 are more downbeat about their lives than are adults who are younger or older, according to a new Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey.

Boomers also are more likely than older or younger Americans to worry that their incomes won't keep up with inflation - this despite the fact that boomers enjoy the highest incomes of any age group.

Immigration to Play Lead Role in Future U.S. Growth

U.S. Population 1960-2050
11 Feb 08 If current trends continue, immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants will account for 82% of the population growth in the United States during this period, according to new projections from the Pew Research Center.

The nation's racial and ethnic mix will change markedly by mid-century, the projections show, with the Hispanic share rising to 29%. Among non-Hispanic race groups, the Asian share will rise to 9%, the non-Hispanic black share will hold steady at 13% and the non-Hispanic white share will fall to 47%.

The nation's elderly population (ages 65 and above) will more than double in size from 2005 to 2050 and by mid-century will make up 19% of the total population.

Race, Ethnicity and Campaign '08

Blacks and Hispanics Table

Race Relations on an
Even Keel...

17 Jan 08 Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, as the presidential field of 2008 has begun to discover. But in the world beyond politics, race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel.

...But Do Blacks and Hispanics Really Get Along?

31 Jan 08 In general the nation's two largest minorities think well of each other, but there are differences, particularly over perceptions about discrimination against blacks and about inter-group relations, a Pew survey finds.

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Noted Elsewhere
Noted Elsewhere

Happier World

Posted: 25 Aug 08
University of Michigan
Happiness is increasing around the world, according to survey data collected in 52 countries over the past two decades. Levels of happiness were up in 40 countries and down in only 12, researchers reported. In the latest survey, Denmark is the happiest nation in the world and Zimbabwe the unhappiest. The United States ranked 16th, after New Zealand and just ahead of Guatemala.
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Smaller Families, Fewer Problems

Posted: 11 Aug 08
University of Albany
Parents in larger families are more likely to report mixed-quality relations with their children than parents of small families, according to an analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth. Only 11% of parents of two children reported the lowest relationship quality with at least one child, compared with 29% of parents of five or more children. “Greater family size offers more opportunities for both positive and negative relations with adult children,” according to the paper.
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Kids Say Glasses Make You Look Smart, Honest

Posted: 4 Aug 08
Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics
Young children think that kids who wear glasses are smarter and more honest than those who do not. Eighty children between the ages of six and 10 years old were shown paired photographs in which the subjects differed by gender, ethnicity and whether they wore glasses. Wearing glasses did not affect children’s judgments about appearance, potential as a playmate or likely athletic abilities.
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About the Project
The Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis. Read more
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