Recent research found that members of the public have four common explanations for paedophilia or child sexual abuse. But the reality is more complex, with multiple causes often at work.
Former South African president Jacob Zuma stands accused of racketeering, fraud, money laundering and corruption.
EPA-EFE
The search for a direct causal connection from public opinion to specific policies, including gun control, may be like hunting for the holy grail. Many factors influence how legislation gets passed.
A shark is hauled aboard a boat in 2014, during Western Australia’s controversial shark culling trial.
Sea Shepherd Australia
A Senate committee has recommended an end to sharks culls and nets. According to surveys, the public is on board with the idea of ending policies that are lethal to sharks.
Who should be allowed inside?
PopTika/Shutterstock.com
A survey asked Americans what they would do if the Supreme Court started making many unpopular decisions. Here’s what they said.
The default position in social and political theory is to disregard children altogether, or to consider them as learner-citizens.
AAP/Lucy Hughes Jones
The Supreme Court’s public reputation is strong in part because people see it as less political than other government branches. What can text analysis tell us about how accurate that perception is?
Data since 1950s show Americans have always been wary of refugees. A public opinion expert explains current attitudes toward Syrian refugees and what it means for building consensus on policy.
Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto’s meeting with Donald Trump during the campaign proved wildly unpopular with the Mexico people.
Henry Romero/Reuters
The Chinese government has an interest in presenting a positive narrative about Africa to its citizens. But the new commercial media is challenging this by prioritising sensational stories.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating has not dropped below 80 percent since March 2014. Russians overwhelmingly support their president’s aggression in Georgia and Crimea. Here’s why.
The public appetite for climate policy is bigger now than when Julia Gillard’s government passed the carbon tax in 2011.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Climate has been something of a sleeper issue in this election. But a new survey suggests voters are keener for action now then they were when the carbon tax was making its way through parliament.
Hurricane Sandy was a turning point on views about climate change, but the effect doesn’t trump political views.
Liz Roll/FEMA