public opinion
January 19, 2022
Have Americans Lost Faith in the Value of a College Education?
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 →
October 20, 2021
Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities
Findings from the American Community Life Survey
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 →
October 2, 2020
Socially distant: How our divided social networks explain our politics
This even occurred Tuesday, October 13th, 2020 at 10:30AM
In the midst of a heated presidential election, health pandemic, and social unrest, it is important to understand how those around us shape our thinking and influence our behavior. Continue Reading →
June 27, 2020
Trump’s in Danger of Losing Some of His Most Faithful Voters
It seems clear that Trump’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has hurt him politically. The AEI survey finds that the public has become increasingly critical of Trump’s response to the pandemic, even among his most loyal supporters. Continue Reading →
June 16, 2020
Many White Americans Are Ready to Reopen the Economy. Black Americans Aren’t.
Not all Americans are anxious for businesses to reopen. In fact, there is a fairly stark divide among white, black and Hispanic Americans on the subject. Continue Reading →
May 28, 2020
Does Biden Have a Problem With African American Voters?
Data suggests Biden may be underperforming with black voters when compared with recent Democratic presidential candidates. If that is happening, it may be because younger black Americans don’t support him as strongly as their elders. Continue Reading →
May 22, 2020
Religious Americans Agree on Limiting In-Person Services, Split on Returning to Worship as Usual
Majorities of Americans remain concerned about COVID-19, and it’s unclear what in-person religious services will look like. Continue Reading →
December 12, 2019
Millennials are Leaving Religion and Not Coming Back
Millennials are more likely to say they they have no religion as they are to identify as Christian, as evidence mounts that today’s younger generations may be leaving religion for good. Continue Reading →
October 8, 2019
Joe Biden Has a Serious College-Voter Problem
The former vice president has faced challenges shoring up support among a key Democratic constituency: college students. Continue Reading →
August 20, 2019
Could Trump Drive Young White Evangelicals Away From the GOP?
Trump has found young white Evangelicals harder to win over. For many older white Evangelicals, Trump’s vigorous public defense of conservative Christians remains the most compelling reason to support his reelection. Continue Reading →
Generation Uncoupled
Generation Uncoupled: America's New Gender Divide and the Crisis of Human Connection
Buy NowSurvey Reports
Daniel A. Cox
July 23, 2026
A Digital Divide in American Adolescence: Gender, Class, and the New Teenage Experience
If teenage years once represented a time of rebellion, teenagers’ lives today are marked less by pushing boundaries and more by building their own. Many teenage experiences are less common than they once were—dating, working a part-time job, and experimenting with drugs and alcohol are less common experiences. The 2026 American Teenagers Survey from the Continue Reading →
Daniel A. Cox, Jae Grace, Avery Shields
April 27, 2026
Strangers Next Door: The Decline of Neighborhood Socializing and the Class Divide in Belonging
Acknowledgment The American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life is grateful to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generous support of this research. As Americans spend more of their time online, the neighborhood—once a primary physical location for real-world socialization—is playing less of a central role than ever before. Since Continue Reading →
In the News
August 13, 2026
America’s Loneliness Trap
August 6, 2026


