Data

Early in the 2016 presidential campaign, Republicans in the United States were more likely than Democrats to value experience and a proven record in a presidential candidate. But that changed with the rise of political newcomer Donald Trump.

Today, nearly a third of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (32%) say they like a political leader who has no previous government experience, compared with just 10% of Democrats and Democratic leaners, according to a survey conducted in July by Pew Research Center.

Extreme weather events have affected many parts of the United States, and most Americans who have experienced one in the past year see at least some link to climate change, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. That includes majorities in both political parties, though Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say climate change contributed a lot to these events.

Partisan polarization has long been a fact of political life in the United States. But increasingly, Republicans and Democrats view not just the opposing party but also the people in that party in a negative light. Growing shares in each party now describe those in the other party as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent than other Americans.

The Electoral College has played an outsize role in several recent U.S. elections, and a majority of Americans would welcome a change to the way presidents are elected.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas this week, receives generally positive ratings from people in his own country, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted shortly after his reelection this spring. However, he gets mixed reviews for his impact on democracy in Hungary, and attitudes toward him are less positive among young people and residents of urban areas, including the country’s capital city, Budapest.

The world’s population will cross 8 billion in November, according to recently released projections from the United Nations. And more than half of all people live in just seven countries.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris draws mostly positive reviews across 18 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center this spring.

A median of 55% of adults in these countries have confidence in Harris to do the right thing regarding world affairs, including half or more who hold that view in 14 countries. Confidence in Harris is particularly high in Sweden, where 77% of adults view her positively.

More than a year into Joe Biden’s presidency, the public is divided over the administration’s approach to climate change: 49% of U.S. adults say the Biden administration’s policies on climate change are taking the country in the right direction, while 47% say these climate policies are taking the country in the wrong direction.

More than a year into Joe Biden’s presidency, the public is divided over the administration’s approach to climate change: 49% of U.S. adults say the Biden administration’s policies on climate change are taking the country in the right direction, while 47% say these climate policies are taking the country in the wrong direction.

Growing shares of Americans believe that a person’s gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth, according to a new Pew Research Center survey, which finds major differences by religion on this question and others about transgender issues.

For example, a majority of White evangelical Protestants say society has gone too far in accepting people who are transgender, while religiously unaffiliated Americans are far more likely to say society has not gone far enough.