Donald Trump’s general election media problem

… The professional norms that still shape the behavior of a large portion of journalists will be Trump’s major problem in the summer and fall campaign. … How will Donald Trump’s positions and rhetoric be treated by journalists who think of themselves as nonpartisan and subscribe to these professional norms? […] Read more »

Latinas and the 2016 elections

A recent poll of Latina voters commissioned by American Women, Voto Latino and iAmerica highlights the important role of Hispanic women in this year’s presidential elections. Latinas express more enthusiasm for voting in the 2016 elections than in the 2014 mid-term elections, driven by very polarized feelings about the political […] Read more »

The challenge of false beliefs

Misperceptions about politics and health can undermine public debate and distort people’s choices and behavior. Why do people hold these false or unsupported beliefs and why is it so difficult to change their minds? An emerging literature examines the difficulty of correcting false or unsupported beliefs and the reasons for […] Read more »

Confidence in Institutions Stays Low

Americans’ confidence in the nation’s major institutions continues to lag below historical averages, with two institutions — newspapers and organized religion — dropping to record lows this year. The overall average of Americans expressing “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in 14 institutions is below 33% for […] Read more »