Economy and COVID-19 top the public’s policy agenda for 2021

As the United States faces twin crises of high unemployment and a pandemic, large majorities of Americans want Joe Biden and Congress to prioritize strengthening the economy and addressing the coronavirus outbreak in the coming year. Yet there are wide partisan gaps over most of the 19 items asked about in our new survey – particularly addressing racial issues and climate change, but also dealing with COVID-19 and reducing the budget deficit.

• See all of our COVID-19 coverage

How America changed during Donald Trump’s presidency

Donald Trump stunned the political world in 2016 when he became the first person without government or military experience ever to be elected president of the United States. His four-year tenure in the White House revealed extraordinary fissures in American society but left little doubt that he is a figure unlike any other in the nation’s history.

More Americans than people in other advanced economies say COVID-19 has strengthened religious faith

Nearly three-in-ten Americans report stronger personal faith because of the pandemic, and the same share think the religious faith of Americans overall has strengthened. Far smaller shares in the 13 other economically developed countries surveyed say religious faith has been affected by the coronavirus.

• In the U.S., White evangelicals most likely to say COVID-19 boosted faith

A rising share of working parents in the U.S. say it’s been difficult to handle child care during the pandemic

About half (52%) of employed parents with children younger than 12 in the household say it has been difficult to handle child care responsibilities during the outbreak, up from 38% who said this in March 2020. At the same time, many working parents have experienced professional challenges while trying to balance their work and family responsibilities.

• Even in industries where majorities can telework, some face challenges working from home during pandemic
• For American couples, gender gaps in sharing household responsibilities persist amid pandemic

Though not especially productive in passing bills, the 116th Congress set new marks for social media use

The just-concluded 116th Congress wasn’t especially productive in terms of the number of substantive bills it passed during its two years in office. But it set several records for lawmakers’ use of social media. The median lawmaker produced more than 3,000 Twitter and Facebook posts in 2019 and 2020.

• Nothing lame about this lame duck: 116th Congress had busiest post-election session in recent history

Turnout soared in 2020, as nearly two-thirds of eligible U.S. voters cast ballots for president

Americans voted in record numbers in last year’s presidential election, casting nearly 158.4 million ballots. That works out to more than six-in-ten people of voting age and nearly two-thirds of estimated eligible voters. Of the 10 states where turnout rose most from 2016, seven held their elections entirely or mostly by mail.

• Most U.S. citizens report a campaign contacted them in 2020, but Latinos and Asians less likely to say so
• Majority of Americans continue to favor moving away from Electoral College

Racial, ethnic diversity increases yet again with the 117th Congress

Republicans, Democrats at odds over social media companies banning Trump

From our research