A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.
Politics
Two-term presidents: Job approval over eight years, Cook Political Report
Hillary Clinton maintains positive image among Americans, Gallup
How Congress voted on the spending and debt limit bills, The Washington Post
Economy
Leading indicators up 0.3% in January after no change in December, Conference Board
Federal debt projected to grow to 79% of GDP by 2024 under current law, CBO
How consumers’ spending patterns vary by educational level, Bureau of Labor Statistics
2.1 million farms tallied for 2012, down 4.3% from 2007, USDA
20 zip codes where it is cheaper to buy than rent, The Washington Post
Natural gas booming in U.S. but coal power fades, Bloomberg
Updated marriage bonus/penalty tax calculator, Tax Policy Center
Health & Society
Felon voting policies and voter disenfranchisement by state, The Pew Charitable Trusts
51% of hate crimes motivated by ‘ethnicity bias’ in 2012, up from 30% in 2011, BJS
Older Americans less likely to die or be injured in car crashes, The Wall Street Journal
Researchers found an unusual link between cat bites and depression, Popular Science
How effective was your flu shot? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Raising awareness of racial bias reduces it, Brookings
Twitter conversations fall into six basic patterns, Pew Research Center
International
Gay friendliness of armed forces worldwide, The Economist
Global business barometer, according to world execs, The Economist
WhatsApp by far the most popular messaging app in India and Brazil, Wall Street Journal
Impetus for WhatsApp deal: A global appetite for texting, Fact Tank
Comparing market rules among OECD countries, OECD
Throughout the world, women concentrated in less-productive jobs, sectors, World Bank
What is happening to the world’s forests right now? World Resources Institute
Random Sample
People in Bangkok and Sao Paulo smile more in selfies than people in Moscow, Wired
Got new data to share? Send it to us via email facttank@pewresearch.org or Tweet us @FactTank.
