Short Reads

For America’s most ardent liberals and conservatives, polarization begins at home. In what may seem like stereotypes come to life, a new Pew Research Center study on political polarization finds that conservatives would rather live in large houses in small towns and rural areas — ideally among people of the same religious faith — while liberals opt […]

Political polarization is the defining feature of early 21st century American politics, both among the public and elected officials. Our study finds that Republicans and Democrats are further apart than at any point in recent history.

Throughout its history, the Pew Research Center has periodically conducted major surveys that take an in-depth look at important trends in American political attitudes and behavior. Today we released one such survey on political polarization, which is arguably the defining feature of early 21st century American politics. This is reflected not only in the public’s […]

The number of Hispanics, the largest minority group in the United States, has increased nearly six-fold since 1970, to 53 million today. But in three states, the rising share of the Hispanic population has returned to levels not seen in more than a century. It’s a story similar to that of the nation’s most recent […]

The number of unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America who were apprehended at the U.S. border has nearly doubled in less than a year.