Most approve of national response to COVID-19 in 14 advanced economies

Most people across 14 surveyed countries in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region believe their own nation has done a good job of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. But people in many of these countries are divided when it comes to the pandemic’s effects on national unity: A median of 46% feel more national unity now than before the outbreak, while 48% think divisions have grown.

• Many say COVID-19 has changed their lives
• See all of our coronavirus research

More Americans say they are regularly wearing masks in stores and other businesses

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, a growing share of Americans say they are regularly wearing a mask or face covering in stores and other businesses. More than eight-in-ten U.S. adults say they have done so all or most of the time over the past month, up from 65% in early June. The partisan divide has narrowed during this period, and mask use has increased in some regions more than others.

Trump’s approval ratings so far are unusually stable – and deeply partisan

More than three and a half years into his administration, President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have remained remarkably stable. There also has been a wider partisan gap in views of Trump than for any other U.S. president in the modern era of polling. Although Trump experienced a slight bump in approval at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, his ratings have settled back to where they were before the pandemic hit the United States.

Biden supporters in states where it is hardest to vote by mail are most concerned about voting this fall

In general, voters in states where elections are conducted solely by mail or where absentee ballots are widely available are more likely than those in other states to say it will be easy to vote for them personally. But these differences are almost entirely the result of variations in the expectations of Joe Biden supporters in different types of states. Trump supporters largely expect voting to be easy for them in the fall, regardless of where they live.

• See all of our Election 2020 research

Trump and Biden supporters differ sharply on acknowledging the nation’s historical flaws

Biden supporters are far more likely than Trump supporters to say that acknowledging the country’s historical flaws makes the U.S. stronger, not weaker. They are also more likely to attribute the nation’s success to its ability to change, rather than its reliance on long-standing principles.

Data essay: On the intersection of science and religion

Over the centuries, the relationship between science and religion has ranged from conflict and hostility to harmony and collaboration. Insights from in-depth interviews with Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists in Malaysia and Singapore highlight the distinct ways people think about science and religion and where tensions arise between the two.

Black Americans have less confidence in scientists to act in the public interest

Americans have more confidence in scientists than in other prominent groups, but Black adults are 14 percentage points less likely than White adults to say they have a great deal of confidence.

• Public confidence in scientists has remained stable for decades

5 facts about presidential and vice presidential debates

Rising share of lawmakers – but few Republicans – are using the term Latinx on social media

From our research