More than four in 10 Americans continue to believe that God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago, a view that has changed little over the past three decades. Half of Americans believe humans evolved, with the majority of these saying God guided the evolutionary process. However, the […] Read more »
The Politics of Religion, the Religion of Politics
Surprisingly, the conference on “Gridlock: Causes, Characteristics, and Consequences on Polarization” spent little time on the so-called “culture war.” But a recent study by the Brookings Institution on the future of religious progressivism got me thinking about the cultural roots of polarization – and in the ways that politics can […] Read more »
You’d have to be science illiterate to think ‘belief in evolution’ measures science literacy
… What should be measured, in my view, is a quality of ordinary science intelligence — not some inventory of facts (“electrons are smaller than atoms — check!”) but rather an ability to to distinguish valid from invalid claims to scientific insight and a disposition to use science’s signature style […] Read more »
The Role of Elites in Holocaust Denial
Why do misperceptions become widespread? More often than not, they have been spread by elites seeking political advantage. … Consider the prevalence of Holocaust denial, which a large multicountry poll released last week by the Anti-Defamation League found to be highest in the predominantly Muslim countries of the Middle East […] Read more »
Asian-Americans Have Had the Sharpest Shift Toward Democrats
Asian-Americans make up the racial or ethnic group that has shifted most strongly toward the Democratic Party since 2000. They are also the country’s fastest-growing racial or ethnic group. Researchers at Gallup think part of the shift stems from many Asian-Americans’ affinity for President Obama, a fellow member of a […] Read more »
For 2016 Hopefuls, Washington Experience Could Do More Harm than Good
As the 2016 presidential campaign begins to take shape, Washington experience has become less of a potential asset for those seeking the White House. A new national survey testing candidate traits finds that 30% would be less likely to support a candidate with “many years” of experience as an elected […] Read more »