pewforum.org Publications

Publications

Explore Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts, legal reports and interviews—on an array of topics and issues at the intersection of religion and public life.

The Supreme Court Considers New Case on Capital Punishment
On April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute that allows for the death penalty in cases involving child rape.
Pope Benedict's Papacy Still Coming Into Focus for Americans
Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now PopeBenedict XVI) in 1980. While Pope Benedict is less favorably viewed than his predecessor, the majority of Americans continue to view him favorably. As Pope Benedict XVI prepares to introduce...
Courting Catholics in 2008
The presidential candidates have recently intensified their efforts to woo Catholic voters, underscoring the election-year significance of this key swing constituency.
On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans
Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is virtually unchanged from August 2007 (50%).
The Pope Comes to America
Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the U.S. as pontiff comes amid a turbulent election year. He has planned stops at the White House, the U.N. and the Sept. 11 "Ground Zero" site.
An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late 2003 when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social conservatives against gay-rights advocates and their allies.
The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate: 2008
On Nov. 4, 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8, amending the state's constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. The vote, which was significant enough to make national headlines on a historic Election Day, was the latest round in a long battle involving the California legislature, judiciary and voters.
Gay Marriage Timeline
Timeline provided by Stateline.org.
A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict's Visit to the U.S.
When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views.
Religion and the Remaining Primaries
Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green discusses how the candidates fared among religious voters on March 4, the role that religious and unaffiliated voters could play in upcoming Democratic primaries and whether false rumors about Obama's faith could hurt his chances for the nomination.
Politics and the Pulpit 2008
A guide to the Internal Revenue Code restrictions on the political activity of religious organizations. 
Between Relativism and Fundamentalism: Is There a Middle Ground?
Peter Berger, an eminent sociologist of religion and a lifelong Lutheran, asked himself several years ago: "Would my moral convictions change if I woke up tomorrow as an atheist?"
First Report on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
The survey, principally authored by Green and Smith, involved 20-minute interviews with 35,000 American adults and is therefore one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of its kind.
Is the 'God Gap' Closing?
One significant pattern in the 2004 presidential election was the tendency of religiously observant Americans to vote Republican and the less observant to vote Democratic. But recent events suggest that this pattern, dubbed the "God gap," may be ...
UCLA Study: Students Become More Spiritual in College
A study finds that while attendance at religious services decreased dramatically for most students between their freshman and junior years, the students' overall level of spirituality, as defined by the researchers, increases.
Does McCain Need Evangelical Voters?
Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green looks at the importance of the evangelical vote for the McCain campaign, the impact of Mitt Romney's withdrawal on the race for the Republican nomination and the challenges posed by religious constituencies for the remaining Republican and Democratic candidates.
Personal Faith and Candidate Image in the 2008 Campaign
Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green answered questions about the history of faith in presidential politics, campaign efforts to religiously define candidates and how the faith factor might impact Super Tuesday.
Will Evangelical Voters Rally Around a Single Candidate in 2008?
With several primary contests completed and Super Tuesday fast approaching, Forum Associate Director Mark O'Keefe and Senior Research Fellow John Green discussed the vote of evangelical Christians in the 2008 presidential election. Green and O'Keefe...
From Roe to Stenberg: A History of Key Abortion Rulings by the Supreme Court
Reproductive issues were largely a private affair early in American history. Although abortion was deemed illegal under English common law, the state rarely took any interest in prosecuting those cases that became public.
Lethal Injection on Trial: An Analysis of the Arguments Before the Supreme Court in Baze v. Rees
On Jan. 7, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Baze v. Rees, a case that challenges the constitutionality of lethal injection as it currently is administered by the federal government and 36 states.
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