Jews and the Faith of Their Children
May 23, 2022
Just half of Jews in America today believe it is important for children to be brought up in a religion so they can learn good values, making the Jewish community an outlier compared to other religious traditions. Continue Reading →
Jewish Religious Exceptionalism
April 14, 2022
Data from the Survey Center on American Life’s new American National Family Life Survey reveals that while Jews heavily embrace cultural traditions such as foodways and festivals, their levels of engagement with conventional forms of religious practice, such as regular worship and religious marriage ceremonies, are much lower than national norms. Continue Reading →
Americans Are More Optimistic Than You Think
March 14, 2022
Groups facing prejudice in the country today are among the most optimistic about the nation’s future. Continue Reading →
Polarization in American Family Life is Overblown
February 23, 2022
Throughout the 2020 election, stories of families and friendships ripped apart by political differences were featured regularly in the press. Many also argued that numerous Americans had become trapped in ideological echo chambers. These narratives all fed into the larger national polarization thesis which suggested Americans were deeply divided and ideologically sorted into narrow social Continue Reading →
Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities
October 20, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Americans across the country to reconsider their residential priorities. Today, many Americans would prefer to live in small towns or rural areas rather than denser urban neighborhoods, and they are more likely to prioritize personal space over access to community amenities. The report investigates the physical and social features of local communities that Americans value most. Continue Reading →
Suburbs Are Not Less Social Than Cities
June 8, 2021
Many believe there are meaningful differences in sociability based on where Americans reside. New data from AEI’s Survey Center on American Life counters this narrative and finds little difference in the social lives of urbanites, suburbanites, and their rural counterparts. Continue Reading →
Biden’s Message of Unity is Welcomed by Most Americans
November 13, 2020
Biden’s desire to move past the divisiveness that has marked the Trump presidency, the question that follows is simple: Are Americans actually open to working with others and trying to find the middle ground? Continue Reading →
The 2020 Election Was Not Primarily About Trump As a Person
November 9, 2020
Biden will have the challenge of finding common ground with all Americans, but Biden already took the right steps when he declared in his acceptance speech that “It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again.” Continue Reading →
Don’t Believe the Trump Hype: Who is Actually Protesting in 2020
October 21, 2020
Even with COVID-19 dominating the news and people being asked to stay home and social distance, Americans are leaving their homes to protest the state of the nation ahead of the November Presidential election. Continue Reading →