Reports & Resources Archive

Public Agenda’s research team conducted 18 in-depth confidential online interviews across all six teams, with state-based grantees, community-based partner organizations, and community members who served on steering committees. Interviews were designed and conducted to allow for reflection on the work completed, identify best practices, and consider improvements. The goal of this report is to inform … Read more

Executive Summary Online degree programs were common even before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall of 2019, about 18 percent of undergraduates were enrolled in what the U.S. Department of Education calls exclusively distance education courses. A disproportionate share of students studying online were enrolled in for-profit colleges. For-profit college students represented only 5 percent … Read more

Executive Summary For-profit colleges’ have generated regulatory scrutiny and litigation because of their recruitment tactics, graduation rates, costs and loan default rates. Compared to public higher education institutions, for-profit colleges have been criticized for being more expensive with similar or worse job market outcomes for graduates, who tend to be left with higher debt. They … Read more

Executive Summary Most Americans consider partisan divisiveness a problem and want politicians to put aside differences and compromise, according to this Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey of 2,219 American adults, fielded in August 2022. However, compared to previous Public Agenda surveys, a declining share of Americans believe it is very important to reduce … Read more

When democracies face challenges, the key to their survival are citizens believing in their own institutions. As our democracy experiences increased strain due to leader and activist polarization, we must shift focus to the public. Are members of the public committed to democracy? Will they stand up for our institutions when the chips are down? … Read more

Executive Summary Americans think higher education can help people economically, particularly in their home states, according to this Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground (HCG) research. But by a variety of measures, Americans question whether the benefits of college are worth the cost. Young people without degrees are especially skeptical. Based on a nationally representative … Read more

Executive Summary How do journalists view their roles and responsibilities in reporting on cross-partisan common ground and divisiveness? What do they believe would help to support developing different approaches to journalism that addresses those issues? To explore those questions, Public Agenda conducted in-depth confidential interviews with a snowball sample of 18 journalists in the fall … Read more

Executive Summary This report focuses on how Americans and K–12 public school teachers in particularview news media coverage of teachers and how they view the teaching professionoverall. Findings from this nationally representative survey of American adults and ofK–12 public teachers, fielded in November 2020, include the following: 1. While nearly all Americans believe that teachers … Read more

Executive Summary This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground report focuses on affective polarization, meaning negative feelings towards people whose political views differ from one’s own. Findings from this nationally representative survey of American adults, fielded in September 2021, include: 1. Americans are united in thinking that partisan hostility and divisiveness harm the country and … Read more