Perhaps no measure better captures the public’s sentiment toward the president than job approval. … We looked at Pew Research Center data going back to Bill Clinton, and Gallup data going back to Dwight Eisenhower. These ratings reflect, for example, how views of presidents have become more politically polarized, as […] Read more »
Clinton Most Admired Woman for Record 20th Time
Americans again name Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama the woman and man living anywhere in the world they admire most. Both win by wide margins over the next-closest finishers, Malala Yousafzai for women and Pope Francis and Donald Trump for men. CONT. Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup Read more »
Terrorism drives nationalistic fervor in presidential politics, Stanford sociologist says
Terrorism typically ratchets up nationalistic impulses in presidential campaigns, a Stanford sociologist says. But which candidate benefits from this dynamic is more nuanced than most political observers realize, said Robb Willer, a Stanford professor of sociology. Stanford News Service interviewed him recently about how terrorism may impact the 2016 presidential […] Read more »
America has never actually welcomed the world’s huddled masses
… The outcry over resettling a relatively small number of Syrian refugees — far fewer than France vowed to take in even after the attacks — isn’t an exception; it’s more like the rule. Yes, the United States has been generous: Since 1948, close to 4 million refugees have come […] Read more »
How terrorist attacks can change opinions and elections — including the 2016 election
… For the past 10 years, we have researched the connection between terrorist threat and public opinion. In our book, “Democracy at Risk,” and in our more recent work, we argue that public attitudes and evaluations shift in at least three politically relevant ways when terrorist threat is more prominent […] Read more »
What France can learn from how the U.S. reacted to 9/11
How will the Paris attacks influence French public opinion and affect its politics? Observers have speculated that France may get more militarily involved in in Syria, tighten its borders against migrants and refugees, or shift its political attitudes rightward. We can offer insight from our research into American public reactions […] Read more »