From behind, a close up of a single white male in a blue graduation cap and gown, surrounded by other graduates wearing the same caps and gowns.
Blog

Have Americans Lost Faith in the Value of a College Education?

Daniel A. Cox January 19, 2022

Americans who pass up an opportunity to go to college may pay for it in the long run, and not just in their paychecks. Continue Reading →

bridge between college graduates and those without a degree
Survey report

The College Connection: The Education Divide in American Social and Community Life

Daniel A. Cox December 13, 2021

Despite concerns about rising student debt, the economic value of a college education has never been clearer. College graduates are more socially connected, civically engaged, and active in their communities. College graduates have more extensive systems of social support, a larger number of close friends, and feel lonely and isolated less often than those without a degree. Continue Reading →

A close up of a blinking lit red emergency vehicle light on top of a police car.
Commentary

Why Crime Likely Won’t Be An Issue In The 2022 Midterms

Daniel A. Cox November 29, 2021

Violent crime is up. Data from the FBI found that the murder rate increased nearly 30 percent in 2020. And homicides continue to rise in 2021 as well, if not by quite as much. Americans have noticed. A Gallup poll released in November 2020 found that 78 percent of Americans thought that the national crime rate was higher than the year Continue Reading →

An illustration of the main street of a small town. There is a market, library, cafe, gym, and restaurant. People are walking on the sidewalk, are inside the buildings, and there is a car going down the street.
Survey report

Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities

Daniel A. Cox, Ryan Streeter, Samuel J. Abrams, Beatrice Lee, Dana Popky 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 →

A Caucasian mother embraces her child on the school yard in front of a yellow school bus.
Blog

Should Teachers or Parents Have More Influence Over Education Decisions?

Karlyn Bowman October 12, 2021

The August 2021 American Perspectives Survey explores how much say parents and partisans believe parents, teachers, and legislators should have in deciding what is taught in public schools. Continue Reading →

A rainbow drawn in chalk on asphalt, surrounded by chalk.
Blog

Public Still at Odds About LGBTQ Issues in Public School

Daniel A. Cox September 27, 2021

Even as gay and lesbian issues have slipped from national headlines, public attitudes on LGBTQ issues continue to evolve. Continue Reading →

Cartoon of students sitting in a classroom wearing protective masks.
Survey report

Controversy and Consensus: Perspectives on Race, Religion, and COVID-19 in Public Schools

Daniel A. Cox, Nat Malkus September 22, 2021

At a time of rapid cultural change, Americans continue to debate what students should learn about race, sex, and religion. While the public broadly supports students learning about America’s complicated racial legacy, political divisions persist. Democrats are far more willing to defer to teachers, while Republicans want a much larger role for parents in education decisions. Continue Reading →

Photo of a now-hiring sign
Commentary

We Asked Hundreds of Unemployed Americans What’s Keeping Them Out of Work — It’s Not Unemployment Benefits

Daniel A. Cox, Brent Orrell July 25, 2021

The Survey Center for American Life’s new survey shows a difference in needs between the pandemic unemployed and the chronically unemployed. Continue reading on Insider Continue Reading →

A help wanted sign is posted at a taco stand in Solana Beach, California, U.S., July 17, 2017.
Survey report

The Great American Jobs Reshuffle

Brent Orrell, Daniel A. Cox July 15, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic decimated American workplaces, yet workers’ experiences varied dramatically. This report examines current unemployment trends and how workers navigate an uncertain environment. In the wake of the pandemic, workplace flexibility is more important for everyone, even if not all workers agree on the benefits of remote work. Continue Reading →

A group adults sit in a backyard while one of them barbeques.
Commentary

Suburbs Are Not Less Social Than Cities

Samuel J. Abrams 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 →

Survey Reports

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 →

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

Daniel A. Cox, M. Anthony Mills, Ian R. Banks, Kelsey Eyre Hammond, Kyle Gray
September 28, 2023

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

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 →

A cartoon showing a vibrant office from the ceiling view.

Daniel A. Cox, Brent Orrell, Kyle Gray, Jessie Wall
September 14, 2023

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

The Social Workplace, Volume II examines Americans’ expectations and experiences surrounding work, the workplace, and key job-related priorities such as pay and interpersonal connections. Continue Reading →