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Laura Silver

@lauraruthsilver.bsky.social
3.6K followers 225 following 65 posts

Associate Director @pewresearch focused on global opinion, China. Formerly @StateDept. PhD from @PoliticsAtPenn, @AnnenbergPenn. Lover of dumplings and pangolins.

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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
NEW from @pewresearch.org today: Americans Give Early Trump Foreign Policy Actions Mixed or Negative Reviews www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/... Below, a thread of some key findings
pewresearch.org
Americans Give Early Trump Foreign Policy Actions Mixed or Negative Reviews
More disapprove than approve of leaving the WHO and ending USAID. About half see tariffs on China as bad for the U.S. and them personally, but views differ by party.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Is it unacceptable to play music out loud in public? Or wear earbuds while talking to a shopkeeper? What about to bring a pet into a grocery store? @pewresearch.org has new data on what Americans think is unacceptable in public pewrsr.ch/43E03sH
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Who Americans expect to gain influence in the new Trump administration according to a new @pewresearch.org survey: - Business corporations 70% - Wealthy people 65% - White people 60% - The military 57% - Men 55% - Evangelical Christians 48% pewrsr.ch/4idN8Cx
pewrsr.ch
Americans expect corporations, the wealthy, White people and other groups to gain influence under Trump
Overwhelming majorities expect transgender people (84%) and gay and lesbian people (76%) to lose influence under Trump.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
@pewresearch.org published an amazing interactive today that lets you explore religion at the national and state level, as well as dig into 34 metro areas. For example, in DC, where I live, 31% are religiously unaffiliated, 27% attend religious services at least once a week and 49% believe in hell
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
NEW from @pewresearch.org: - 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship - Most Dems disapprove (84%); most Reps approve (72%) - though Dem disapproval is more widespread and intense than Rep approval - Rep views differ by race and ethnicity pewrsr.ch/4kcSKOv
pewrsr.ch
Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship draws more disapproval than approval
Overall, 56% of U.S. adults disapprove of Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, while 43% approve.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
New data from @pewresearch.org: 42% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Musk -- but it's highly partisan (73% of Rs have a favorable view; 12% of Ds) 25% of Americans have favorable views of Zuckerberg and it's less partisan (34% R, 17% D) More here: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Interesting finding in the new @pewresearch.org COVID-19 report: 39% of Americans are not sure what the current health guidelines are for someone who gets COVID-19. 33% think there's no point in people testing for COVID-19 and 40% that it's no worse than a cold or flu www.pewresearch.org?p=199451
pewresearch.org
60% of Democrats worry we’re not taking COVID-19 seriously enough, 76% of Republicans disagree
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Great new @pewresearch.org report focused on COVID's impact 5 years later: - 72% of Americans think the pandemic did more to drive the country apart than bring it together - 75% say the pandemic took a toll on them but the vast majority say they have recovered at least somewhat pewrsr.ch/43bH20P
pewrsr.ch
5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72%) say the COVID-19 pandemic did more to drive the country apart than to bring it together.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Here's an extremely timely new piece from @pewresearch.org on foreign aid, answering questions like how much the federal government spends on foreign aid, what it's used for, who receives it, and how Americans feel about it: pewrsr.ch/4hilaox Some facts in a thread below (1/5)
pewrsr.ch
What the data says about U.S. foreign aid
The $71.9 billion in foreign aid that the government spent in fiscal year 2023 works out to 1.2% of that year’s total federal spending.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Before Trump pulled out of the WHO, a majority of Americans said the U.S. benefitted from membership in the org. 79% of Dems and 38% of Reps see benefits to membership; this 41 pt gap is larger than partisan divides over the benefits of membership in the UN (36 pts) or NATO (30) pewrsr.ch/4huvfit
pewrsr.ch
4 facts about Americans’ views of the World Health Organization
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (58%) say the U.S. benefits from its membership in the World Health Organization.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
New from @pewresearch.org: a look at global religious nationalism. As part of this, we asked about the influence certain sacred texts (Bible, Quran, etc. depending on country) should--and currently do--have on the country's laws. The U.S. stands out from other high-income countries shorturl.at/YQNot
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
46% of workers who telework at least some of the time say that if they were no longer allowed to work from home, they'd be unlikely to stay at their current job per @pewresearch.org : www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
pewresearch.org
Many remote workers say they’d be likely to leave their job if they could no longer work from home
Among employed adults who have a job that can be done from home, 75% are working remotely at least some of the time.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Some fascinating facts about federal workers in this new @pewresearch.org roundup (1/5): - The most highly educated federal agency is USAID; 2/3 of its employees have an MA, PhD or other advanced degree - Fewer than a fifth of the workers in OPM's database are in DC, MD or VA (the DMV)
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Nice historical context on government shutdowns and views
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Americans' confidence in the nation's judicial system and courts is now at a record low 35%, per Gallup. Only a few countries have seen larger percentage-point drops in confidence over a similar 4 year span: Myanmar, Venezuela, South Africa and Syria among them. news.gallup.com/poll/653897/...
news.gallup.com
Americans Pass Judgment on Their Courts
Between 2020 and 2024, Americans' confidence in the U.S. judicial system and courts declined by 24 percentage points, one of the largest country-level drops for the courts measured globally since 2006...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
This is a fun tool to graph the popularity of your name over time based on social security data. As one of 4 Laura's in my HS class, not surprised about this 80s peak. Try yours here: baby-names.jetpack.ai
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
Found a real gem while doing legitimate research. Delighted to have discovered it; devastated none of them chose the plural my 2 year old does: "Octopus octopus"
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
@pewresearch.org is now hiring interns for summer 2025. Apply or share with others who might be interested, please! These internships are paid and a great learning/networking experience for undergrads: pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Center...
pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Center Internships
The Pew Research Center offers paid internships through our flagship summer internship program. Though specifics may vary by year, internships offerings are usually available on our research teams (Da...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Add some data to your hot takes about elections with this nice new synthesis piece about the 2024 mega election year from @pewresearch.org pewrsr.ch/4g9zfUy
pewresearch.org
Global Elections in 2024: What We Learned in a Year of Political Disruption
Voters in more than 60 countries went to the polls in what turned out to be a difficult year for incumbents and traditional political parties.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
According to a new @pewresearch.org blog, 75% of Americans are confident in their ability to find their credit report, but fewer are confident in their ability to create a monthly budget (59%) or a plan to pay off debt (57%) or an investment plan (27%) More here: pewrsr.ch/4iqQ9zA
pewrsr.ch
Roughly half of Americans are knowledgeable about personal finances
Among U.S. adults who are knowledgeable about personal finances, 49% say they learned a great deal or a fair amount about personal finances from family and friends.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
The new "striking findings" post from @pewresearch.org is out today, highlighting some of our big numbers from 2024. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
pewresearch.org
Striking findings from 2024
Here’s a look back at 2024 through 14 of our most striking research findings.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
88% of voters say the 2024 election was run and administered at least somewhat well -- up from 59% in 2020. These rosier views are driven entirely by shifting Trump voters, 93% of whom say this year was well administered -- compared with 21% in 2020. More here: www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...
pewresearch.org
Voters Broadly Positive About How Elections Were Conducted, in Sharp Contrast to 2020
Trump voters’ skepticism about election administration and the counting of mail-in ballots declined sharply with their candidate’s win.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
The Global Attitudes team @pewresearch.org is hiring a research associate! We're looking for someone with a background in public opinion/social science research who has strong data skills--and ideally an interest in cross-national research. Apply here: pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/CenterExtern...
pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Research Associate, Global Attitudes
Department Overview Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes team conducts cross-national survey research on major international issues such as attitudes toward the U.S. and American foreign policy, vie...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Obsessed with this and eagerly anticipating the sequel: hot croc buns
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Yelled “this is an elite activity!” at our Washington DC turkey trot this am …. Because only 3% of Americans expected to participate in a community run on Thanksgiving this year! www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
pewresearch.org
The vast majority of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, but their traditions and activities vary widely
Turkey Day traditions, activities and even preferred dinnertimes vary.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Great context on views of tariffs from some past @pewresearch.org surveys. We also found in 2021 that more Americans thought increased tariffs on imported goods from China were bad for the U.S. (44%) than good (30%) (more here: www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/...)
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
In a cognitive interview I'm watching, a NYer was asked how happy she would be to share a meal with a Jewish person. She said she'd love to because she loves Jewish food ... like gefilte fish. The election left some feeling confused about public opinion, but this one has me scratching my head ...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
With all the energy on this platform, I'm excited to re-engage. I'm an associate director @pewresearch.org focusing on global public opinion, especially foreign policy, democracy and China. Here to share/learn about those things...but also here for any esoteric, nerdy wordplay and puns y'all share.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Trying out this platform again as #Thanksgiving approaches...so here's some new @pewresearch.org data on the holiday - 7% of Americans expect to have dinner with 20+ people this year! - Americans are divided about whether the best holiday meal time is 12-3 PM (36%) or 3-6 PM (38%) shorturl.at/XBZaZ
shorturl.at
The vast majority of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, but their traditions and activities vary widely
Turkey Day traditions, activities and even preferred dinnertimes vary.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 09/11/2023
Do you like when you are offered a suggested tip amount? - Americans are divided: more oppose (40%) than favor it (24%), according to a new @pewresearch.org survey. A 72% majority oppose automatic service charges. So much more on views of tipping culture here: www.pewresearch.org/2023/11/09/t...
pewresearch.org
Tipping Culture in America: Public Sees a Changed Landscape
72% of U.S. adults say tipping is expected in more places today than it was five years ago. But even as Americans say they’re being asked to tip more often, only about a third say it’s extremely o...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 07/11/2023
Fun new quiz out of @pewresearch.org about what Americans know about their government. Take it first here: www.pewresearch.org/politics/qui... Then read the report here: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... Fun finding: Republicans and Democrats perform similarly on these civic knowledge questions
pewresearch.org
What do you know about the U.S. government?
Test your civics knowledge by taking our short 6-question quiz.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
How do views of the U.S. and China compare when it comes to their foreign policy, soft power, and more? Check it out here in our new data essay: www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/...
pewresearch.org
Comparing Views of the U.S. and China in 24 Countries
We compare how the U.S. and China stack up to one another on measures of international public opinion.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 06/11/2023
In advance of the likely APEC Xi-Biden summit, we drafted this awesome interactive showing the gap in views of American and Chinese leadership over time, as well as the gap in views of the two countries. Dive into a cool visual of our data over time: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
pewresearch.org
How views of the U.S., China and their leaders have changed over time
People in 23 countries tend to see U.S. President Joe Biden more positively than Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 27/10/2023
Fun new BLS analysis by @pewresearch.org documents that, yes, your husband is probably spending more time on leisure than you are, at least if you are an employed woman ages 25 to 64 with a child under 18 at home. More here: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
One more fact for good measure: nearly all countries are "on the hour" but Afghanistan, India, Iran, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are on the half hour, while Nepal is on the 45-minute mark relative to most other time zones. And Australia and Canada have places on the hour and half hour! pewrsr.ch/3tNdBSZ
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Changing your clocks in the next few weeks? Around a third of the world's countries will be. But, around half of the countries of the world once celebrated daylight saving time, with many abandoning it, including over the past decade. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
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Laura Silver @lauraruthsilver.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
Might as well get started on this platform by posting some time zone facts from this deeply esoteric--and satisfying--blog I just wrote. First: you want to schedule a meeting that's maximally convenient? Consider using UTC+8, where around a fifth of the world's population resides. pewrsr.ch/3tNdBSZ
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