Five myths about rural America that muddle the political realities

In political, media and academic circles, the Trump era has sparked renewed interest in rural America — the supposedly “forgotten” areas of the country where white, non-college-educated voters gave the president the electoral edge he needed to prevail in 2016. The near-singular focus on Donald Trump has yielded a body […] Read more »

The Polarization of Reality

Evidence is growing that Americans are polarized not only in their views on policy issues and attitudes towards government and society, but also in their perceptions of the same, factual reality. In this paper we conceptualize how to think about the polarization of reality and review recent papers that show […] Read more »

Trump courts Latinos in Miami as part of launch of evangelical coalition

In a 75-minute rally-style address — but with more religious overtones — Trump touted his record on social issues and noted that the evangelical vote helped power his improbable victory in 2016, proclaiming: “We’re gonna blow those numbers away in 2020.” “Evangelicals . . . have never had a greater champion, not […] Read more »

Poll: White evangelicals distinct on abortion, LGBT policy

White evangelical Protestants stand noticeably apart from other religious people on abortion restrictions and LGBT discrimination protections, two of the most politically divisive issues at play in the 2020 presidential election, according to a new poll. The findings point to an evangelical Protestant constituency that’s more firmly aligned with President […] Read more »

Gallup Decade in Review: 2010-2019

A review of Gallup analyses over the past decade reveals that the years from 2010 to 2019 bore witness to key revolutionary changes in public opinion, along with some persistent trends and concerns, as well as striking moments and lasting effects. Here are the changes, issues and moments in public […] Read more »