Survey report September 28, 2023

America’s Crisis of Confidence: Rising Mistrust, Conspiracies, and Vaccine Hesitancy After COVID-19

Daniel A. Cox, M. Anthony Mills, Ian R. Banks, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray

Young man sitting in a dark room before a wall featuring various conspiracy theory-related items illuminated by a computer screen

America is experiencing a crosscutting crisis of expertise and scientific distrust accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic that poses significant challenges to democratic debate and public decision-making Continue Reading →

Commentary September 10, 2023

Trump is Not as Strong as He Looks

Daniel A. Cox

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Steer N' Stein bar at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

With just a few months before the first votes are cast in the Republican primary, Donald Trump commands a 41-point lead according to the polling average calculated by Real Clear Politics. Even more impressive, his lead appears to have grown in recent months. But Trump’s position is more tenuous than it appears. Continue Reading →

The rapid increase in liberal identity among young women has led some to speculate that young men are moving in the opposite direction. Continue Reading →

Commentary June 29, 2023

Nonreligious Americans are the New Abortion Voters

Daniel A. Cox, Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux

Abortion protesters gathered with "love them both" and "keep abortion legal" signs

When Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, many white evangelical Protestants didn’t just see the Supreme Court’s ruling as a political win — it was a spiritual victory. For decades, religious conservatives have been singularly focused on ending the constitutional right to abortion, a priority that few other demographic groups shared. Continue Reading →

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the AEI Survey Center on American Life conducted a national survey of Americans that explored a wide range of political attitudes, current voting preferences, and perceptions of the political parties. Continue Reading →

Commentary May 18, 2023

Some Evangelical Voters Aren’t Sold On Trump. Will That Help DeSantis?

Daniel A. Cox, Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux

Former President Donald Trump spoke via video to attendees of the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22. Data suggests Trump is weaker among college-educated white evangelical voters than he was in his 2016 campaign. SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES

The issue of abortion could be one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest weaknesses in the Republican primary — and Ron DeSantis is trying to take advantage of it. “He won’t answer whether he would sign it or not,” the governor of Florida said on Tuesday, referring to a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Continue Reading →

Blog April 26, 2023

Does Politics Make People More Likely to Identify as LGBTQ?

Daniel A. Cox, Phil Jones

Bisexual people in the color of the bisexual flag. Silhouette vector stock illustration. Bisexuals as a community of LGBTQ, bisexualism. People's faces in profile. Isolated illustration

A novel survey experiment tests the relationship between LGBTQ identity and political ideology. Continue Reading →

Commentary April 11, 2023

American Politics Needs a New National Purpose

Daniel A. Cox

President John F. Kennedy delivers his famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962. (Source: NASA)

The United States seems to have lost its way as a country. Americans have generally low regard for our political leaders, little faith in our institutions, and even less in each other. Our politics are defined by acrimony and division. Continue Reading →

Event January 30, 2023

The Politics of Immigrants

Kyle Gray

Image of people standing in line to vote.

While immigration has played a central role in American political life in recent years, less attention has been paid to the politics of immigrants themselves. How do different groups of immigrants vary in their political beliefs and attitudes? What role will immigrant communities play in this year’s midterm elections? Continue Reading →

Blog December 12, 2022

Abortion, Race, and Ethnicity

Karlyn Bowman

Large group of Hispanic women protesting in green bandanas, one wearing purple in focus in the forefront holds up a sign that says "por tus hijas" or "for your daughters" with a picture of a young girl on in.

As the dust settles after the 2022 midterm election, researchers are now able to look at how the Dobbs decision impacted voters across the country. While significant attention has been given to the abortion views of men and women of various age groups, less notice has been paid to the similarities and differences of racial and ethnic groups. Continue Reading →

Survey Reports

gender divide banner

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond
September 24, 2024

The Politics of Progress and Privilege: How America’s Gender Gap Is Reshaping the 2024 Election

Americans are increasingly divided on gendered issues. A new report by the Survey Center on American Life provides context for how these divisions might impact the results of the 2024 Presidential election. Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Sam Pressler
August 22, 2024

Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life

Disconnected: Places and Spaces presents new survey findings that suggest Americans are less connected than ever before. Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Kyle Gray, Kelsey Eyre Hammond
May 28, 2024

An Unsettled Electorate: How Uncertainty and Apathy Are Shaping the 2024 Election

A survey of more than 6,500 US adults focused on the 2024 presidential election reveals a pessimistic and unsettled American electorate fractured by education, ideology, class, and gender. Continue Reading →

Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence Cover Image

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray
November 9, 2023

Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence: How Gen Z’s Formative Experiences Shape Its Politics, Priorities, and Future

This report explores the foundational differences between American generations through their formative adolescent experiences. Continue Reading →