PRRI is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Reasons Why. Why the podcast name, ‘Reasons Why’ for an organization that conducts research on religion, culture, and politics? It comes from the praxis we use inside our shop about how we apply and analyze polling and other research methods. At the cornerstone of our research, we strive to get from “the what” to “the why.” Public opinion surveys always capture what people are thinking, and that’s important. At PRRI, we are dedicated to further understanding why Americans hold the attitudes they hold, why they do the things they do, and why they identify with certain groups and not others. Across all of our vast issue coverage, we always dig deeper into “the why” question.

As the nation continues to feel the impact of the coronavirus, preventative measures such as social distancing are being practiced across the country to help contain the spread. On the inaugural episode of PRRI’s Reasons Why Podcast, we talk with PRRI Research Director Natalie Jackson, Ph.D. about our latest survey on the virus and changes in American social behaviors as a result. We discuss what the survey tells us about how the nation is dealing with the virus, and how religious affiliation, political partisanship, as well as attitudes about the president impact how people are reacting to it.