Short Reads

Many critics have questioned whether Secretary of State John Kerry’s focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is worth the effort, given the region’s rich history of diplomatic disappointment, but Kerry has managed to bring the two sides together this week in Washington for their first talks in several years.  Polling finds limited optimism about the prospects […]

Nearly half of Americans say the country should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along as best they can on their own.

U.S. families are relying less on their own resources and more on outside sources (scholarships, loans and the like) to pay for college.

About four-in-ten Americans report having a gun in their household, either their own or someone else’s.

Despite modestly positive macroeconomic trends, many Americans feel lukewarm or worse about the economy. Five less-common indicators may help explain why.

Can a president control gas prices? The answer depends on whether you ask a Republican or a Democrat -- and which party occupies the White House.

A global Pew Research Center survey finds a large gender gap in attitudes about U.S. government use of drones to target terrorists.

About three-in-ten Americans say journalists contribute “a lot” to society’s well-being, a 10-percentage-point drop from four years ago.

As President Obama prepares to make a "major" speech on the economy today, our past reports describe the challenges the middle class has faced in the past decades.