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Articles on Public opinion

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Young voters in Ann Arbor, Mich., fill out applications to cast their ballot in the midterm elections in November 2022. Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Young people are lukewarm about Biden – and giving them more information doesn’t move the needle much

While young voters say they would be more likely to vote for Biden after they learn more about the economy and other topics, they did not appear affected by Donald Trump’s norm-defying behavior.
People line up to take part in a Canada Day citizenship ceremony before the start of a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox in Toronto on Canada Day, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

What’s behind the dramatic shift in Canadian public opinion about immigration levels?

The number of Canadians who believe there is too much immigration to Canada rose sharply in 2023. Why have public opinions changed so much in the last year?
The exterior of Shifa hospital in Gaza City is seen on Nov. 10, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas near the facility. AFP via Getty Images

Hamas isn’t the first military group to hide behind civilians as a way to wage war

The Taliban and the Islamic State group are among the militant groups that have been known to use civilians as human shields in the past, in order to try to shift their opponents’ war calculations.
China provides billions of dollars in loans and direct investments to African nations each year. Oleksii Liskonih/iStock/Getty Images Plus

We asked 1,000 Zimbabweans what they think of China’s influence on their country − only 37% viewed it favorably

Politicians and scholars debate whether China’s economic investments in Africa benefit or exploit local populations. But what does the public think?
AI could help elected representatives raise up constituent voices. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

AI could shore up democracy – here’s one way

Public comment could soon swamp government officials and representatives, thanks to AI, but AI could also help spot compelling stories from constituents.
A prominent GOP poll said Democratic U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire would lose her re-election bid to a Republican. Hassan won by 9 percentage points. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Some midterm polls were on-target – but finding which pollsters and poll aggregators to believe can be challenging

Polling for the 2022 midterms was more accurate than the dramatically wrong predictions of 2016 and 2020, leading one pollster to boast, ‘The death of polling has been greatly exaggerated.’
A young voter fills out her ballot at a polling site in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 8, 2022. Public polling underestimated the strength of the youth vote in the recent U.S. midterms. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Young U.S. voters reduced the ‘Red Wave’ to a ‘Pink Splash’ in the midterm elections — why didn’t polls predict it?

The U.S. midterms revealed a generational shift away from youth voter apathy. The apathetic, in fact, seem to be those trying to accurately measure public opinion using outdated methods.
Whether a wastewater sample is taken at the street level or a treatment plant affects the size of the group of people it represents. University of Louisville

Who sees what you flush? Wastewater surveillance for public health is on the rise, but a new survey reveals many US adults are still unaware

Public health officials monitor sewage in local communities to track COVID, polio, flu and more. But no one asks the people being monitored for their permission – raising some questions and concerns.
People inquire about receiving a monkeypox vaccine at an outdoor walk-in clinic in Montréal on July 23, 2022. The World Health Organization has declared the virus a global health emergency. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Why it’s important to tell people that monkeypox is predominately affecting gay and bisexual men

Engaging in open and honest dialogue with the public to increase understanding of health inequities has never been more important.
The Savannah Medical Clinic, which provided abortions for four decades in Savannah, Ga., is closed now. AP Photo/Russ Bynum

Kansas vote for abortion rights highlights disconnect between majority opinion on abortion laws and restrictive state laws being passed after Supreme Court decision

Justice Samuel Alito said that abortion policy crafted by elected representatives in the states would be more responsive to what constituents want than federal protection of the right. He was wrong.

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