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 →

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 →

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 report April 27, 2022

Politics, Sex, and Sexuality: The Growing Gender Divide in American Life

Daniel A. Cox, Beatrice Lee, Dana Popky

An illustration of the side profiles of four people. From left to right: a young white man with blond hair, an older Black woman with short, curly Black hair, a young woman with tan skin and black hair with a blue streak, an older man with darker tan skin with curly grey hair and a mustache.

The nature of gender differences is a source of enduring debate in American society. The divide between young men and women is growing larger over sex, sexuality, and politics. Men spend more time playing video games, watching pornography, and report a greater interest in politics, while women are more likely to pick up a book or meditate. Continue Reading →

Blog February 22, 2022

Crime, Policing, and the Racial Divide on the Left

Daniel A. Cox

A white man holds a sign reading "DEFUND THE POLICE" in red lettering at a protest.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, “defund the police” became a rallying cry among many liberal activists. Even so, the movement never really caught on among the establishment wing of the Democratic party. Certainly, rising crime had something to do with this: The FBI found that the murder rate increased roughly 30 percent between Continue Reading →

With high turnout in the 2020 election, black voters appear poised to remain a critical constituency in the Democratic Party. But their strong support for Democratic candidates and continued political involvement is a function of their social circumstances. Continue Reading →

If governments can effectively administer the COVID-19 vaccine and deliver economic support, it will go a long way in demonstrating that even if government is clunky and the results imperfect, the institutions of democratic governance can work. Continue Reading →

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 →

Lost amid the rhetorical brinksmanship in the fight to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently passed after battling pancreatic cancer, is the reason Republicans believe this particular fight is necessary and why Democrats are unlikely to take a measured response. Continue Reading →

If Democrats plan to coast by on public antipathy alone, they could be in for a rude awakening. 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 →