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 →

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

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

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

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 →

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 →

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Blog

Why a Modest Decline in Religious Belief is Important

Daniel A. Cox July 8, 2022

Another poll, another record broken in the country’s continuing religious descent. A new Gallup poll finds that 81 percent of Americans say that they believe in God, representing a six point drop over the last five years. Continue Reading →

A children's coloring book of the Jewish Haggdah,
Blog

Jews and the Faith of Their Children

Samuel J. Abrams 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 →

Blessing and preparing matzah in preparation for the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Blog

Jewish Religious Exceptionalism

Samuel J. Abrams 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 →

A cartoon drawing of a church. Inside of the church is a pastor looking at empty pews.
Survey report

Generation Z and the Future of Faith in America

Daniel A. Cox March 24, 2022

The religious and social experiences of young adults today are entirely different than previous generations. New family dynamics and parenting choices are reshaping the religious experiences of young people, setting them on a very different trajectory than past generations and making Generation Z the least religious generation. Continue Reading →

Photo of main street, Grass Valley California
Blog

Diversity and Disconnection

Daniel A. Cox, Beatrice Lee, Dana Popky March 1, 2022

Americans who live in areas packed with neighborhood amenities tend to have a more diverse set of friends and acquaintances. Continue Reading →

Artists rendition of several families sitting at tables having family dinners.
Survey report

Emerging Trends and Enduring Patterns in American Family Life

Daniel A. Cox February 9, 2022

Family dynamics are always evolving, but the emergence of new technologies, shifting economic realities, new cultural sensibilities, and social arrangements have reshaped family life dramatically. But there are enduring patterns in American family life as well. Women still do far more of the household chores, including cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Formative experiences, such as divorce, parental favoritism, and relationships have far-reaching influence. Continue Reading →

Photo of book Secular Surge by David E. Campbell, Geoffrey C. Layman, and John C. Green
Event

Is America entering a new secular age?

scalstage May 19, 2021

Rapid growth of secular identities and beliefs in America is transforming the religious and political landscape. Join us to explore what this means for the future of American religion and politics. 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 →