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

American Politics Needs a New National Purpose

Daniel A. Cox April 11, 2023

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. We’ve witnessed a decades-long deterioration in civic life and social solidarity. The erosion of traditional Continue Reading →

a series of cartoon women in business casual attire on a white backdrop.
Blog

Despite Professional Successes Many Women Still Experience Imposter Syndrome

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre, Jessie Wall March 15, 2023

Women in the professional world are thriving and have been pulling ahead of men for years. Confidence in job performance however, remains lower than men of their same age. Continue Reading →

Cover of Bob Smietana's book Reorganized Religion
Event

Reorganized Religion with Bob Smietana

Kyle Gray January 30, 2023

America’s rapidly changing religious landscape has spurred many questions about the cause of its decline and predictions about what the future holds. In his new book, Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why It Matters (Worthy Publishing, 2022), Religion News Service’s Bob Smietana follows the decline of mainstream Christian denominations, the rise of “disorganized disbelievers,” and how politics shapes religious communities and what this means for the the future of our civil society. Continue Reading →

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 24: People sit and have a picnic in Washington Square Park during a heat wave on July 24, 2022 in New York City. The five boroughs of New York City are under a heat advisory until 8 PM on July 24th according to the US National Weather Service. Much of the East Coast is experiencing higher than usual temperatures as a heat wave moves through the area forcing residents into parks, pools and beaches to escape the heat. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Commentary

Why Americans are Spending Less Time with Friends — And What to do About it

Daniel A. Cox December 20, 2022

A full work week. Hours on housework, yard work, time spent with your kids or partner. Then there’s all the time we spend online. Where is the time for friends? Today, On Point: Declining time with friends, increasing loneliness. We hear what to do about Americans’ lost connections. Continue Reading →

Six dice with the letters P R O L I F E C H O I C E they spell Pro Life and Pro Choice.
Blog

Pro-Choice, Pro-Life or … Both?

Daniel A. Cox November 29, 2022

American attitudes on abortion are complicated and most Americans don’t fall into the pro-life or pro-choice binary. Continue Reading →

Blog

The Class Divide in Family Dinner 

Daniel A. Cox November 7, 2022

Family dinners—a once ubiquitous feature of American life shared across cultural, religious, and class lines—have disappeared in many households. Continue Reading →

A cartoon of three miniature persons sitting on another person's hands that has shrubbery on them.
Commentary

The New Workplace Gender Imbalance: Social Capital and Job Satisfaction

Daniel A. Cox, Brent Orrell, Jessie Wall October 31, 2022

New data suggests gender and education are the difference between liking and loving your job. But there’s a price to be paid. Continue Reading →

A cartoon showing a vibrant office from the ceiling view.
Survey report

The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America

Brent Orrell, Daniel A. Cox, Jessie Wall October 25, 2022

Over the past two decades, American social and civic life has been on an undeniable downward trajectory. New research finds that the workplace remains an increasingly important generator of social capital in the wake of this civic contraction. Continue Reading →

Photograph of pro-choice protestors holding signs
Survey report

Gender, Generation and Abortion: Shifting Politics and Perspectives After Roe

Karlyn Bowman, Daniel A. Cox October 4, 2022

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue of abortion continues to garner widespread public attention. Young women are following the debate over abortion rights closely and more intensely than other Americans. How will it affect their vote in the upcoming election and their approach to politics? Continue Reading →

Photo of President Joseph R. Biden and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Survey report

The Democratic Party’s Transformation: More Diverse, Educated, and Liberal but Less Religious

Daniel A. Cox July 28, 2022

The Democratic Party has experienced seismic demographic changes over the past few decades; becoming less Christian, more liberal, more educated, and more racially and ethnically diverse. These changes profoundly impact the Democratic Party’s future political priorities and electoral fortunes. Continue Reading →

Survey Reports

Cartoon rendering of a series of different online dating app prospects, on phone screens

Daniel A. Cox
February 9, 2023

From Swiping to Sexting: The Enduring Gender Divide in American Dating and Relationships

The January 2023 American Perspectives Survey sheds some light on dating preferences, experiences, and perspectives. The national survey of more than 5,000 adults age 18 and older, including nearly 800 single adults, finds that Americans have strong dating preferences when it comes to living at home, being unemployed, and smoking. Continue Reading →

Red leather-bound Qur'an on a wooden table with prayer beads and a light blue surgical mask draped over top.

Lindsey Witt-Swanson, Jennifer Benz, Daniel A. Cox
January 5, 2023

Faith After the Pandemic: How COVID-19 Changed American Religion

The Survey Center on American Life at AEI teamed up with researchers at NORC at the University of Chicago to measure religious affiliation and attendance both before the pandemic (2018 to March 2020) and again in spring 2022, revealing who remained at the pews, who returned to the pews, and who left. Continue Reading →

A cartoon showing a vibrant office from the ceiling view.

Brent Orrell, Daniel A. Cox, Jessie Wall
October 25, 2022

The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America

Over the past two decades, American social and civic life has been on an undeniable downward trajectory. New research finds that the workplace remains an increasingly important generator of social capital in the wake of this civic contraction. Continue Reading →

Photograph of pro-choice protestors holding signs

Karlyn Bowman, Daniel A. Cox
October 4, 2022

Gender, Generation and Abortion: Shifting Politics and Perspectives After Roe

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue of abortion continues to garner widespread public attention. Young women are following the debate over abortion rights closely and more intensely than other Americans. How will it affect their vote in the upcoming election and their approach to politics? Continue Reading →