The U.S. political system is dysfunctional and the economy is still struggling, especially for those in the middle and working classes. But when it comes to the biggest concern of some experts a generation ago — the decay of our culture — there is evidence that the country is doing […] Read more »
The Politics of Who Watches ‘Duck Dynasty’
This week, the A&E reality show show “Duck Dynasty” stepped out of the world of cable TV and into the political fray. After one of the show’s stars, Phil Robertson, was suspended for comments about gays he made in a GQ interview, former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and […] Read more »
Chinese Respondents Top Materialism Poll
A global poll of attitudes toward wealth has found what many domestic critics allege already: Chinese today are just too materialistic. The survey was conducted by the French market research company Ipsos in September and polled more than 16,000 adults in 20 countries. Chinese respondents topped the list in measuring success […] Read more »
Single Mothers With Family Values
… It’s tempting to dismiss a Republican single mom as a dupe persuaded to vote against her own interests, a victim of what Thomas Frank called “the politics of self-delusion.” This assessment is misguided. … The single mothers who reject the politics of their peers tell us something about the […] Read more »
Abortion Viewed in Moral Terms: Fewer See Stem Cell Research and IVF as Moral Issues
Regardless of their views about the legality of abortion, most Americans think that having an abortion is a moral issue. By contrast, the public is much less likely to see other issues involving human embryos – such as stem cell research or in vitro fertilization – as a matter of […] Read more »
Amid Criticism, Support for Media’s ‘Watchdog’ Role Stands Out
Public evaluations of news organizations’ performance on key measures such as accuracy, fairness and independence remain mired near all-time lows. But there is a bright spot among these otherwise gloomy ratings: broad majorities continue to say the press acts as a watchdog by preventing political leaders from doing things that […] Read more »