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Pew Research Center
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The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world.[2] It also conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, random sample survey research, and panel based surveys,[4] media content analysis, and other empirical social science research.
Key Information
The Pew Research Center states it does not take policy stances. It is a subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trusts[5] and a charter member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research's Transparency Initiative.[6]
History
[edit]In 1990, the Times Mirror Company founded the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press as a research project, tasked with conducting polls on politics and policy.[7] Andrew Kohut became its director in 1993, and the Pew Charitable Trusts became its primary sponsor in 1996, when it was renamed the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.[8]
In 2004, the trust established the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. In 2013, Kohut stepped down as president and became founding director, and Alan Murray became the second president.[9] In October 2014, Michael Dimock, a 14-year veteran of the center at the time of his selection, was named president.[10]
Funding
[edit]The Pew Research Center is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization and a subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.[5][11] For its studies focusing on demographics of religions in the world, the Pew Research Center has been jointly funded by the Templeton Foundation.[12][13]
Research topics
[edit]
The center's research includes the following topic areas:[14]
- U.S. politics and policy positions
- International affairs
- Immigration & migration
- Race and ethnicity
- Religion
- Age & generations
- Gender & LGBTQ rights and views
- Family & relationships
- Economy & work
- Science
- Internet and technology
- News habits & media
- Methodological research [15]
- Regions & countries
- Other such information
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Faler, Brian (April 27, 2004). "Pew Trusts to Open Research Center in D.C." The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Pew Research Center (n.d.). "About Pew Research Center". Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "Pew Research Center" (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
- ^ "Our survey methodology in detail". Pew Research Center Methods. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "Company Overview of The Pew Charitable Trusts". Bloomberg. December 29, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- ^ "Pew Research Center". Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "Times Mirror Center for People and Press | C-SPAN.org". C-SPAN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Our History". Pew Research Center. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ Memmott, Mark (November 2, 2012). "Alan Murray Of 'The Wall Street Journal' Named Pew Research Center's President". NPR. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ^ Massella, Nick (October 14, 2014). "Michael Dimock Named President of Pew Research Center". FishbowlDC. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ^ "Company Overview of The Pew Charitable Trusts". 501c3Lookup.org. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- ^ "The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Major Religious Groups as of 2010" (PDF). Pew Research Center. December 2012. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
This effort is part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project, which analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world. The project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation
- ^ "Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project". Pew Research Center. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ "Research Topics". Pew Research Center. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Methodological research". Pew Research Center. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
External links
[edit]Pew Research Center
View on GrokipediaThe Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., that conducts empirical research on public opinion, demographics, social trends, politics, and global issues through surveys, statistical analysis, and data reporting to inform public understanding without prescribing policy positions.[1][2]
Originating from a 1990 research project by the Times Mirror Company focused on media and public attitudes, it evolved into an independent entity under The Pew Charitable Trusts, which provides its primary funding while the Center maintains operational autonomy to ensure research integrity.[3][4]
Renowned for its rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting, the Center has produced influential datasets on topics such as declining trust in government institutions, evolving partisan divides, and technological adoption patterns, contributing foundational facts to scholarly and policy discussions.[5][6]
Despite its self-described neutrality, critics have questioned potential influences from its philanthropic funding sources, though the organization adheres to a code emphasizing factual accuracy over advocacy.[2]
History
Founding and Predecessors
The Pew Research Center originated from the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press, a public opinion research initiative launched in 1990 by the Times Mirror Company, which owned major newspapers including The Los Angeles Times. This predecessor organization conducted surveys on American attitudes toward media, politics, and press coverage, producing reports such as analyses of public trust in government and media consumption trends during the early 1990s.[3][7] In 1995, after Times Mirror divested its publishing assets, The Pew Charitable Trusts—a philanthropic organization established in the 1940s from the fortune of Sun Oil Company co-founder J. Howard Pew and his family—took over funding and renamed the entity the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. This transition preserved the focus on polling while expanding data-driven analysis of societal trends, with early projects including international surveys on post-Cold War attitudes conducted in collaboration with global partners. The Pew Trusts, rooted in the conservative philanthropy of the Pew brothers who emphasized free-market principles and limited government, provided financial stability without direct editorial control.[3][8] The contemporary Pew Research Center was formally founded on July 1, 2004, as a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, consolidating polling operations with broader empirical research on demographics, religion, science, and global affairs. This restructuring aimed to create a centralized "fact tank" independent of advocacy, building on the Times Mirror legacy by integrating content analysis and methodological innovations in survey design.[1][8]Key Milestones and Expansion
The Pew Research Center expanded its scope beyond initial public opinion polling on U.S. politics and policy through the launch of specialized projects in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 1997, it initiated the Project for Excellence in Journalism to analyze news media trends and practices.[3] This was followed in 1999 by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which focused on the societal impacts of digital technology and online behaviors.[3] Further diversification occurred in 2001 with the establishment of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life to examine faith's role in public affairs; the Pew Hispanic Center, dedicated to demographic and policy issues affecting Latino communities; and the Pew Global Attitudes Project, conducting international surveys on transnational topics.[3] In 2004, The Pew Charitable Trusts consolidated these initiatives—along with ongoing polling and demographic analysis—into the unified Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C., under president Andrew Kohut, marking a shift toward integrated, nonpartisan fact-finding across social, political, and global domains.[3] Subsequent expansions included the 2005 launch of the Pew Social & Demographic Trends project, which merged original surveys with U.S. Census Bureau data to track population shifts and attitudes.[3] By the mid-2010s, the Center emphasized methodological advancements, beginning in 2015 under president Michael Dimock to refine survey techniques amid evolving data landscapes, while maintaining operational independence from advocacy.[3] This growth transformed the organization from a press-focused polling entity into a multifaceted research hub employing over 160 staff by the 2020s, producing data-driven reports on demographics, media, technology, religion, and international relations.[1]Leadership Transitions
Andrew Kohut served as the founding director of the Pew Research Center, initially leading its predecessor organization, the Times Mirror Center for the People & the Press, from 1990 before becoming director in 1993 upon its establishment as an independent entity.[3] In 1995, Kohut assumed the role of president as the center expanded under sponsorship from The Pew Charitable Trusts, overseeing its growth into a multifaceted nonpartisan research organization focused on public opinion, demographics, and media trends until his announced retirement effective in 2013.[9] [3] In March 2012, the center announced Kohut's transition to founding director emeritus, paving the way for Alan Murray, a former deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal, to succeed him as president in 2013.[9] [3] Murray's tenure, lasting until July 2014, emphasized integrating journalism perspectives into research dissemination amid the center's digital expansion, though it was brief as he departed to become editor of Fortune magazine.[10] [11] Michael Dimock, who joined the center in 2000 and had risen to associate director of research before succeeding Kohut as director of the political polling unit in late 2012, was appointed president in October 2014.[12] [3] Dimock's leadership has focused on methodological rigor in survey research and adapting to evolving data landscapes, including nonpartisan analysis of political polarization and public trust metrics, with no subsequent transitions reported as of 2025.[13] [14] Kohut passed away in September 2015, shortly after his retirement, leaving a legacy of establishing the center's reputation for factual, data-driven public opinion polling.[15]Organizational Structure and Funding
Governance and Operations
Pew Research Center is governed by a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors composed of individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, including academia, media, law, and technology.[16] The board, chaired by Robert M. Groves, interim president of Georgetown University, is responsible for selecting the Center's leadership, reviewing standards of integrity, monitoring financial health, ensuring scholarly independence, and advising on organizational strategy and mission alignment.[16] It does not participate in research execution, data analysis, or report production.[16] Current board members include Claudine Gay, professor at Harvard University; James McMillan, senior vice president and general counsel at The Pew Charitable Trusts; Burke Olsen, publisher of Deseret News; Mike Roggero, chairman and CEO of Fuse Media; Maria Thomas, startup advisor and investor; Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of Knight Foundation; and Rebecca Weiss, social/data scientist and technology leader; with Michael Dimock serving as a nonvoting member in his capacity as president.[16]| Board Member | Affiliation/Role |
|---|---|
| Robert M. Groves (Chair) | Interim President, Georgetown University |
| Michael Dimock (Nonvoting) | President, Pew Research Center |
| Claudine Gay | Professor, Harvard University |
| James McMillan | Senior Vice President, General Counsel, The Pew Charitable Trusts |
| Burke Olsen | Publisher, Deseret News |
| Mike Roggero | Chairman & CEO, Fuse Media |
| Maria Thomas | Startup Advisor and Investor |
| Maribel Pérez Wadsworth | President & CEO, Knight Foundation |
| Rebecca Weiss | Social/Data Scientist and Technology Leader |

