The United States is the oldest continuous democracy in the world, and a model and inspiration for other nations seeking to build democratic institutions. One of the core pillars of American liberty is a free press. Pew conducts opinion surveys that track public attitudes toward the press and politics. At the same time, Pew issues major reports that examine long-term trends in the political values of Americans, as well as their views on policy issues and priorities, political knowledge, and news interest.
August 13, 2020 Methodology

The American Trends Panel survey methodology The American Trends Panel (ATP), created by Pew Research Center, is a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. Panelists participate via self-administered web surveys. Panelists who do not have internet access at home are provided with a tablet and wireless internet connection. Interviews are conducted in both […]

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August 13, 2020 Acknowledgments

This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals: Research team Carroll Doherty, Director, Political Research Jocelyn Kiley, Associate Director, Political Research Andrew Daniller, Research Associate Bradley Jones, Research Associate Hannah Hartig, Research Associate Amina Dunn, Research Analyst Hannah Gilberstadt, Research Assistant Ted Van Green, Research Assistant Vianney […]

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August 13, 2020 Appendix: Validated vote measures

2016 validated voters: Measures of 2016 turnout and vote choice rely on panelists’ responses to questions about voter turnout and candidate preference on American Trends Panel surveys conducted between Nov. 29 – Dec. 12, 2016 and Nov. 7-16, 2018. Self-reported vote choice collected immediately after the election was used for panelists recruited prior to the […]

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August 13, 2020 4. Important issues in the 2020 election

With the country in the midst of a recession, nearly eight-in-ten registered voters (79%) say the economy will be very important to them in making their decision about who to vote for in the 2020 presidential election – the top issue of 12 included in the survey. The economy is consistently a top voting issue. […]

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August 13, 2020 3. Views of the 2020 campaign and voting in November

The 2020 presidential campaign is attracting a high level of interest from voters. Three measures of voter attitudes and engagement are among the highest seen for presidential elections over the last few decades. Today, 83% of registered voters say that it “really matters who wins” the presidential election, higher than the share who said this […]

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August 13, 2020 2. Perceptions of Trump and Biden

About half (49%) of registered voters say they are very or fairly satisfied with the presidential candidates, while a similar share (48%) say they are not too or not at all satisfied. Voter satisfaction with the candidates is higher than it was in 2016, when just 40% expressed satisfaction, but lower than it was for […]

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August 13, 2020 1. The 2020 Trump-Biden matchup

With less than three months until the 2020 presidential election, a larger share of registered voters say they would support Joe Biden (53%) over Donald Trump (45%) if the election were held today. But when it comes to how strongly voters back their chosen candidate, 66% of Trump supporters say they support him strongly, while […]

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August 13, 2020 Election 2020: Voters Are Highly Engaged, but Nearly Half Expect To Have Difficulties Voting

With less than three months until Election Day, Joe Biden has an advantage over Donald Trump among registered voters. But support for Trump is much stronger.

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