Reports & Resources Archive
Eager to Build Bridges: Religious and Spiritual Americans’ Desire to Connect Across Partisan Divides
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
The Political Alienation Barometer
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
America’s Hidden Common Ground on Public Higher Education: What’s Wrong and How to Fix It
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
Journalists Discuss Reporting on Common Ground and Divisiveness
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
Americans’ Views of How the News Media Covers Teachers
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
America’s Hidden Common Ground: Putting Partisan Animosity in Perspective
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
America’s Hidden Common Ground on Renewing Democracy
This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, which is also part of Public Agenda’s ongoing series of Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, was fielded in May 2021. The research updates and expands on findings from Public Agenda’s two previous Yankelovich Democracy Monitor surveys, published in 2019 and 2020. Findings include: Most Americans think our democracy … Read more
Hybrid Meetings Webinar: A Guide to Conducting Effective Meetings in the Pandemic Era
Over the last several years, virtual events have become more common, with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 accelerating the need to meet and interact in the digital space. But even as conditions allow us to resume in-person meetings, there are many benefits for connecting digitally and holding hybrid meetings and events that provide engaging in-person … Read more
America’s Hidden Common Ground on Overcoming Divisiveness
This Public Agenda/USA TODAY Hidden Common Ground survey, fielded in February 2021, finds a powerful consensus across political affiliations that the nation needs to move beyond the destructive divisiveness that plagues our politics. It also finds common ground on several approaches to overcoming divisiveness. Findings from this research update and expand on Public Agenda’s 2019 … Read more
Essential Educators: Teacher and Parent Views on COVID-19
After a challenging fall semester, a national survey from Public Agenda finds that K-12 teachers and parents are largely on the same page regarding education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just over half of both teachers and parents feel that their communities value teachers more now than before the pandemic. While only one-third of parents think … Read more