Pew Research Center Staff

A plurality of Americans (43%) disapprove of gay and lesbian couples raising children, but that number has declined from 50% in 2007.

Among Americans who have ever lived with an unmarried partner, nearly two-thirds say they thought about it as a step toward marriage.

Three-quarters of adults say they are very satisfied with their family life; 19% are somewhat satisfied.

Despite large changes in family structure and formation rates, the public maintains a strongly positive view about marriage and the family.

Seven-in-ten say the trend toward more single women having children is bad for society, and 61% say that a child needs both a mother and father to grow up happily.

Nearly four-in-ten survey respondents say that marriage has become obsolete as an institution in American life.

Just a quarter of the public knows that it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster in the Senate.

Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.

While a majority of Americans believe that next year will be better than 2010, there was far more optimism at the beginning of the year.

Roughly 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 today, and about 10,000 more will cross that threshold every day for the next 19 years.