As pandemic continues, more in U.S. and Europe feel major impact on their lives

Significant shares of the public in the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom say their lives have changed because of the coronavirus outbreak. And the shares who feel this way have grown notably since summer, when the Center reported already-high levels of impact in people’s lives. Ideology plays a role in people’s assessments of their national coronavirus response, but this rings especially true in the U.S. and UK, where those on the political left are more critical.

• Most feel optimistic about future public health emergency strategies in their country

Public sees Black people, women, gays and lesbians gaining influence in Biden era

Americans have distinctly different views of which groups will gain influence during Joe Biden’s presidency – and which ones will lose influence. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say Black people will gain influence in Washington with Joe Biden taking office. Large shares of adults also expect women (63%) and gay and lesbian people (60%) to gain influence over the next four years. By contrast, more Americans say evangelical Christians, business corporations and the military will lose rather than gain influence under Biden.

• Wide partisan gaps over whether the poor – and wealthy – will gain or lose influence with Biden as president

As the pandemic persisted, financial pressures became a bigger factor in why Americans decided to move

Faced with coronavirus lockdowns and economic pain, people surveyed last fall about moving due to the pandemic were more likely than those interviewed in spring to have relocated due to financial stress and less likely to cite risks of getting the coronavirus. The fall survey also found that where people moved changed over the course of the pandemic. In November, a smaller share of those who moved because of the coronavirus outbreak said they had moved in with a family member than was the case in a June survey.

• See all coronavirus research

Single-party control in Washington is common at the beginning of a new presidency, but tends not to last long

In an era marked by deep and intense partisan divisions, single-party control of the White House and both chambers of Congress may seem rare. But unified government at the beginning of a president’s first term has actually been the norm, especially for Democratic presidents, according to an analysis of data going back to the 56th Congress. In fact, it’s been the case for 16 of 21 presidents dating to Theodore Roosevelt. At the same time, during at least the last 16 congressional sessions, single-party dominance in Washington hasn’t necessarily corresponded with high levels of legislative productivity.

About one-in-five Americans who have been harassed online say it was because of their religion

From our research