Majority of public favors giving civilians the power to sue police officers for misconduct

Two-thirds of Americans say civilians need to have the power to sue police officers to hold them accountable for misconduct and excessive use of force, even if that makes officers’ jobs more difficult. While declining shares give police forces positive marks for using force appropriately, treating racial groups equally and holding officers accountable, there is little support for cuts in spending on local policing.

• Wide racial, partisan gaps in views of police performance
• Broad public support for several policing reform proposals
• Just a quarter of the public says spending on police should be decreased

A century after women gained the right to vote, majority of Americans see work to do on gender equality

About half of Americans say granting women the right to vote has been the most important milestone in advancing the position of women in the United States. Still, a majority of U.S. adults say the country hasn’t gone far enough when it comes to giving women equal rights with men. Among those who think the country still has work to do, 77% point to sexual harassment as a major obstacle to women having equal rights with men.

• Wide party and gender gaps in views of the obstacles women face in achieving gender equality
• 61% of U.S. women say ‘feminist’ describes them well; many see feminism as empowering, polarizing
• Activism on gender equality differs widely by education among Democratic women

Hispanics have accounted for more than half of total U.S. population growth since 2010

Hispanics have played a significant role in driving U.S. population growth over the past decade, though the group is not growing as quickly as it once did. From 2010 to 2019, the U.S. population increased by 18.9 million, and Hispanics accounted for more than half (52%) of this growth.

• U.S. Hispanic population surpassed 60 million in 2019, but growth has slowed

About a fifth of U.S. adults moved due to COVID-19 or know someone who did

Millions of Americans relocated this year because of the COVID-19 outbreak, moving out of college dorms that abruptly closed, communities they perceive as unsafe or housing they can no longer afford. Overall, around one-in-five U.S. adults (22%) say they either changed their residence due to the pandemic or know someone who did.

• Most Americans say despite ongoing research, ways to limit spread of COVID-19 are well understood
• See all of our coronavirus research

Younger adults differ from older ones in perceptions of news about COVID-19, George Floyd protests

U.S. Millennials tend to have favorable views of foreign countries and institutions – even as they age

How people in Poland see key aspects of their democracy ahead of presidential election

From our research