Americans do not have a clear point of view on how the massive anti-government protests in Egypt will affect the U.S., but most give Obama good marks for his handling of the situation. Half the country has heard a lot about the events in the Middle East, while half have heard little or nothing.

Americans like the idea of their government promoting democracy in other nations. But democracy promotion has historically lagged far behind other objectives among the public's long-term foreign policy goals.

As of March 2010, 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the U.S., virtually unchanged from a year earlier and remaining well below the population's peak of 12 million in 2007. The number of unauthorized immigrants in the nation's workforce (8 million) also has not changed in the past year.

The public remains divided -- and deeply so along party lines -- on the issue of gun control and gun rights. Most Americans say tragic events like the shooting are just the isolated acts of troubled individuals, and not a reflection of broader problems in American society.

Opinion about gun control has been split since April 2009, but this marked a substantial change in attitudes from previous years in which majorities of Americans consistently prioritized gun control over gun rights. See a breakdown of opinion about gun control across numerous demographic categories.

When Chinese President Hu Jintao visits Washington next week, he will be greeted by an American public that looks to Asia- -- rather than to Europe -- as the region of the world most important to U.S. interests.

As President Obama prepares to host Chinese President Hu Jintao next week, Americans increasingly see Asia as the region of the world that is most important to the United States. While Americans see China as a rising global power, relatively few characterize the U.S.-China relationship as adversarial; China is seen primarily as an economic threat, rather than a military one.

Hispanic voters are nearly three times more prevalent in states that gained congressional seats and Electoral College votes in the 2010 reapportionment than they are in states that lost seats.

The Iowa caucuses produced six small but significant indicators of the dynamics that drove the race.

On issues ranging from the rising power of China to the desirability of bipartisan cooperation and the outlook for the nation's future, Americans expressed views over the course of the past year that are likely to have consequences for the future course of U.S. policy and governance.