Fifty years after the first American manned space flight, nearly six-in-ten say it is essential that the U.S. continue to be a world leader in space exploration and a majority say it has been a good investment for the country.

Mitt Romney is clearly the candidate the public says they are hearing the most news about, while mentions of Sarah Palin have plummeted over the past two weeks.

A 57%-majority says elected officials just get caught more often because they are under greater scrutiny. About two-in-ten (19%), on the other hand, say elected officials have lower moral standards than ordinary Americans.

While the media devoted attention to the arrest of the IMF chief, the public had little interest. But a majority have heard a lot about Schwarzenegger's troubles.

Generally, the issues matter most in voters' judgments about presidential candidates, but personality, character and values are not far behind -- and especially so in primary elections.

While the public is divided over same-sex marriage, a majority of Americans (58%) say that homosexuality should be accepted, rather than discouraged, by society. But there are wide political and religious differences in opinions on this measure.

Senior research staff answers 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.

In a number of surveys over the past several months, the Pew Research Center has shown where the public stands on the budget deficit -- the seriousness of the problem, views of competing policy proposals, and its confidence in the policymakers.

Researchers recently presented some findings that dispute the popular (or academic) wisdom about important aspects of family life and bear upon relevant findings from Pew Research surveys.

As media organizations plot their future, it's worth discarding some misconceptions about what it will take to keep the press from becoming yesterday's news. Here, in an aricle prepared for the Washington Post, are five frequent, if faulty, allegations: