Why Religion is Becoming an Even Stronger Force Within the Republican Party

For The Washington Post, Perry Bacon Jr. describes the tensions within the Republican Party evidenced by former President Donald Trump’s struggle to balance the demands of religious activists and donors with broader voter appeal. While religion is becoming increasingly influential within the Republican Party, on the whole, the country is becoming more secular. PRRI President and Founder Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., argues that some white Christians are alarmed by how quickly America is becoming more secular and more racially diverse, fueling their more conservative policy aims and commitment to the GOP.

Why Biden and Democrats Are Talking So Much About Freedom

CNN’s Ron Brownstein analyzes a historic shift in the messaging of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, with the pair emphasizing the concept of “freedom” as a central theme on the campaign trail. PRRI data show that Republicans were most likely to say their freedom to own guns, practice their religion, and speak their mind was growing more restricted; Democrats were most likely to say that they were losing the freedom to control their own body. PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., told Brownstein: “The parties are talking past each other […] These times certainly have made freedom a more accessible, even an existential, issue for people on the left.”

Supreme Court Lifts Broad Injunction Against Idaho Ban on Gender-affirming Care for Minors

Josh Gerstein and Kierra Frazier at POLITICO report that the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing Idaho to enforce a state law barring gender-affirming care for minors creates uncertainty for the state’s transgender minors and their families. The Supreme Court ruled after a lower court blocked the law from going into effect when two families with transgender daughters sued, challenging the constitutionality of the law. In a newSpotlight Analysis, PRRI Public Fellow Joanna Wuest, Ph.D., examines the recent downward trend in Americans’ support for transgender rights. Citing PRRI surveys, Wuest writes that Republican support for “[l]aws that prevent parents from allowing their child to receive medical care for a gender transition” increased from 61% in 2022 to 72% in 2023.

Most Reject Trump’s Claims of Persecution. Some Still Have Concerns.

Aaron Blake at The Washington Postexamines Americans’ attitudes on former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles based on polling conducted by PRRI and others. Referencing a variety of poll findings from Reuters and Ipsos, Quinnipiac University, CNN, and others, Blake writes that the majority of Americans believe the scrutiny is appropriate but are concerned politics could be at play and aren’t convinced Trump will be treated fairly. Importantly, most Americans believe there is legitimate evidence that could prove Trump’s guilt: PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey found that 58% of Americans believe there is “credible evidence” that Trump committed “serious federal crimes.”