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.

States With Voter-Approved Constitutional Bans on Same-Sex Marriage, 1998-2008
Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage following a ruling by the state's highest court. In the five years since the Massachusetts decision, 26 states have amended their constitutions to ban gay marriage.
How the Faithful Voted
President-elect Barack Obama made a concerted effort to reach out to people of faith during the 2008 presidential campaign, and early exit polls show that this outreach may have paid off on Election Day.
Trends in Candidate Preferences Among Religious Groups
The latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press includes analysis of the candidate preferences of major religious groups.
In Brief: Pleasant Grove City v. Summum
On Nov. 12, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, a case that could change how public parks display religious messages such as the Ten Commandments.
How Church Attendance Affects Religious Voting Patterns
The latest report from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that, as in previous elections, differences in voting patterns by religion are amplified when church attendance is taken into account
A Fluid Boundary: The Free Exercise Clause and the Legislative and Executive Branches
Courts have long grappled with questions of religious freedom, but other government bodies also help ensure protection of this cherished liberty.
A Fluid Boundary: The Free Exercise Clause and the Legislative and Executive Branches
Courts have long grappled with questions of religious freedom, but other government bodies also help ensure protection of this cherished liberty.
Americans Wary of Church Involvement in Partisan Politics
More than two dozen pastors challenged a provision in the tax code that restricts the political activities of houses of worship and other tax-exempt organizations.
Abortion Laws Around the World
Abortion is as controversial abroad as it is in the United States. Many governments struggle to strike a balance between the rights of pregnant women and the rights of unborn fetuses.
Americans and Abortion: An Overview
More than 35 years after the U.S. Supreme Court's historic Roe v. Wade (1973) decision granted a woman the constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy, abortion remains a controversial issue.  
How the Media Have Handled Palin's Faith
Since Aug. 29, the day Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, she has dominated election coverage.
A Slight but Steady Majority Favors Keeping Abortion Legal
Public opinion on the legality of abortion has remained relatively stable for well over a decade, with slight majorities of the public consistently saying they favor keeping abortion legal.
Palin V.P. Nomination Puts Pentecostalism in the Spotlight
From the time she was a teenager until 2002, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin attended a church affiliated with the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal Christian denomination in the U.S.
Survey Finds Alaskans Less Religious Than Other Americans
GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is a self-described  "Bible-believing Christian," but statistics show that compared with the nation as a whole, Alaska is home to a higher-than-average number of people who are unaffiliated with any particular religion.
On Ceremonial Occasions, May the Government Invoke a Deity?
Opponents of these religious invocations say such proclamations promote religion and thus violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits all laws "respecting an establishment of religion."
More Americans Question Religion's Role in Politics
A new survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters.
The Demographics of Faith
A Pew Forum report written for the U.S. State Department describes the diversity of religious practice in the United States.
McCain's Lead Among Evangelicals Smaller than Bush's in '04
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has a smaller lead among white evangelical Protestants than Republican George W. Bush had at a similar point in the 2004 campaign.
Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics
Embryonic stem cell research, which uses special cells found in three- to five-day-old human embryos to seek cures for a host of chronic diseases, has sparked a major moral and political debate in the United States.
The Science Behind Stem Cell Research
For decades, stem cells have attracted the attention of medical researchers and others because they have the capacity to develop into specialized cells that make up a variety of organ and other tissues.
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