In a country where the search for common ground is increasingly elusive, many Americans can agree on this: They believe the political system is broken and that it fails to represent them. They aren’t wrong. Faced with big and challenging problems — climate, immigration, inequality, guns, debt and deficits — […] Read more »
Scientists’ political donations reflect polarization in academia – with implications for the public’s trust in science
Under 10% of political donations from academic scholars go to Republican causes. Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Plus Alexander Kaurov, Harvard University People who lean left politically reported an increase in trust in scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic, while those who lean right politically reported much lower levels of trust […] Read more »
Trust in Media 2023: What news outlets do Americans trust most for information?
The divide between Democrats and Republicans on which news sources are trustworthy remains stark. Last year, The Economist / YouGov published the results of a poll asking Americans where they get their news from and how much they trusted 22 prominent media organizations. YouGov revisited the topic this year by […] Read more »
There’s a toxic brew of mistrust toward U.S. institutions. It’s got real consequences
… Partisanship and polarization have been on the rise over the last 30 years. There are fewer competitive House districts, largely drawn by Republicans, which has meant more ideological purity in Congress and more hard-line, and, at times, ugly, in-your-face politics. It’s all mixed together to make for a toxic […] Read more »
How AI will transform the 2024 elections
Recent news that the Republican National Committee (RNC) has used an AI-generated video to criticize Joe Biden shows how likely AI is to transform our upcoming elections. Advances in digital technology provide new and faster tools for political messaging and could have a profound impact on how voters, politicians, and […] Read more »
Assessing the news media: trust, coverage, and threats to a free press
Although trust in the news media remains low, the public is nevertheless worried about a variety of problems threatening a free press in the United States and around the world. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, findings from this spring 2023 survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs […] Read more »