The Simple Life
Fully a third of people living in rural areas see five or fewer widely held consumer products as necessities rather than luxuries.
Need that Computer and Cellphone
Computers are deemed a necessity by just half (51%) of the adult public, and cell phones by 49%. But both of these products are making a swift climb up the necessity scale.
GOP Leads … in Happiness
More Republicans (37%) than Democrats (25%) say they are “very happy.”
Symbols and Substance of Obama’s First Week Drive the Narrative
Barack Obama’s official transition to power swamped the news last week. And even that may understate the extent to which he commandeered the agenda, with an early edict on Gitmo and a full-court press on a stimulus package.
Smithsonian 2.0
How can museums and libraries adjust to the new media ecosystem?
Plane Crash Draws As Much Interest As Economy
Summary of Findings Americans last week followed the dramatic emergency landing of US Airways flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River as closely as they followed news about the nation’s number one problem: the troubled economy. One-in-four say the crash – which resulted in no fatalities and turned pilot Chesley Sullenberger into a national hero […]
Economy, Jobs Trump All Other Policy Priorities In 2009
Overview As Barack Obama takes office, the public’s focus is overwhelmingly on domestic policy concerns – particularly the economy. Strengthening the nation’s economy and improving the job situation stand at the top of the public’s list of domestic priorities for 2009. Meanwhile, the priority placed on issues such as the environment, crime, illegal immigration and […]
As Obama Takes Office, Global Press Turns to Regional Concerns
by Richard Wike, Associate Director, Pew Global Attitudes Project, and Michael Remez, Senior Writer, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press The celebratory tone that characterized international media coverage of Barack Obama’s historic election victory was again pervasive in many of the stories about his inauguration as the 44th American president. “History was […]
Who Expects To Gain — And Lose — Under Obama
More Americans say that people like themselves will gain influence under the Obama administration than was the case for the last two incoming presidents. Many who did not vote for Obama say this as well -- including pluralities of all whites and white evangelical Christians.
Reasons people do not have home broadband
Our May 2008 survey asked dial-up users why they do not have a broadband connection at home and our December 2007 asked non-internet users about the reasons they do not use the internet. This table summarizes the results.
