pewforum.org Publications

Analyses

Explore Pew Forum analyses—including public opinion poll reports, demographic reports, research studies, legal reports and graphics—on an array of topics and issues at the intersection of religion and public life.

General Election Preferences by Religious Group
The latest Pew Research Center polling shows that Obama has strong support from black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated, while Romney holds a lead among white evangelicals and white Catholics. The complete report includes general election preferences by religion and by gender within religious groups as well as voters' views on which issues are very important in deciding who to vote for this fall.
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Maryland and Wisconsin
In the Maryland and Wisconsin primaries, Romney and Santorum ran neck and neck among white born-again/evangelical voters, while Romney was the clear favorite of non-evangelical voters. Romney was also victorious among Wisconsin voters who attend religious services only occasionally and those who attach little importance to having a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
Religion and the 2012 Louisiana Republican Primary
Rick Santorum got his first clear victory among Catholics in Saturday's Louisiana primary in addition to winning among white evangelical Christians, people who attend worship services weekly and voters who say it is at least somewhat important to have a candidate who shares their religious beliefs.
Religion and the 2012 Illinois Republican Primary
Exit polling from the Illinois Republican primary shows that Romney continues to draw less support from white born-again/evangelical voters than from non-evangelicals, while Santorum has yet to secure an outright victory among Catholic voters in any state for which data are available.
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Alabama and Mississippi
Santorum won narrow victories in both the Alabama and Mississippi Republican primaries, but exit polling shows there was no clear winner among white born-again/evangelical voters in either state.
Faith on the Move
This study focuses on the religious affiliation of international migrants, examining patterns of migration among seven major groups: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, adherents of other religions and the religiously unaffiliated.
Religion in the Super Tuesday Primaries
Exit polls from Super Tuesday primaries show that Mitt Romney continues to struggle among evangelicals, and Rick Santorum is yet to win among Catholics in any state where exit polling was conducted.  
Synopsis of Religion in the Early Republican Primaries
Data from exit or entrance polling in the seven states where it has been conducted for GOP primaries and caucuses show that Mitt Romney’s fortunes among white born-again/evangelical voters have fluctuated from state to state. He has received less support from evangelicals than from non-evangelicals in every contest for which data are available.
Religion and the 2012 Republican Primaries: Arizona and Michigan
Mitt Romney won the Arizona primary by a large margin and secured a narrow victory in the Michigan primary. In both states, his support among born-again/evangelical voters was weaker than among non-evangelicals, continuing the pattern from previous primaries and caucuses in other states.
Religion in the News: Islam and Politics Dominate Religion Coverage in 2011
The biggest religion stories of 2011 involved tensions over Islam and questions about faith in presidential politics, especially Mormonism, according to an annual review of religion in the news.
Religion and the Presidential Campaign: February Update
A new Pew Research Center poll finds that Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are now virtually tied in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum’s improving fortunes in the GOP race have been buoyed by a surge in support among white evangelicals, who now express a clear preference for Santorum over Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Public Divided Over Birth Control Insurance Mandate
Americans who have heard about the federal rule that would require employers to provide birth control as part of their health care benefits are closely divided over whether religiously affiliated institutions should be given an exemption. Sharp divisions of opinion exist on the issue by religious affiliation, party and ideology.
Religion and Attitudes Toward Same-Sex Marriage
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Feb. 7 that a 2008 California referendum banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. According to the Pew Research Center’s latest polling on the issue, support for same-sex marriage varies by religious group.
Religion and the 2012 Nevada Republican Caucuses
Romney's win included overwhelming support from Mormons and strong support from Catholic voters. He also won among white born-again/evangelical Protestants, though his support from that group continues to be somewhat more tepid than among non-evangelicals.
Trends in Party Identification of Religious Groups
Since 2008, the share of voters identifying with or leaning toward the GOP has either grown or held steady among major religious groups. This includes both religious groups that are part of the GOP’s traditional constituency as well as some groups that have tended to be more aligned with the Democratic Party, including Jewish voters. 
Religion and the 2012 Florida Republican Primary
In his commanding win in the Florida Republican primary, Mitt Romney received strong support from Catholics and from voters who do not describe themselves as white born-again/evangelical Christians. Among both white evangelicals and Protestant voters, Romney ran about even with Newt Gingrich. 
Religion and the 2012 South Carolina Republican Primary
In his South Carolina Republican primary win, Newt Gingrich received strong support from born-again/evangelical Christians and from voters who said that it is important to them that a candidate shares their religious beliefs.
Religion and the Presidential Campaign: January Update
Polling conducted Jan. 11-16 shows that Mitt Romney maintains a substantial lead nationally in the race for the GOP nomination and finds few differences in the candidate preferences of some major religious groups.
Religion and the 2012 New Hampshire Republican Primary
Interviews conducted as voters left the polls in the 2012 GOP primary show that Mitt Romney was the winner among born-again evangelical Christians as well as among non-evangelical voters.
Majority Continues to Support Death Penalty
A November 2011 survey finds continued majority support for the death penalty in the U.S. Compared with 20 years ago, however, there is more concern today among death penalty opponents about flaws in the justice system and the possibility that innocent people could be put to death.
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