Democrats Fail to Impress in First 100 Days

Government Faulted on Vets' Care, Military Ratings Slip Post-Walter Reed

Also covered:
Reps see McCain, Giuliani and Romney as more moderate than "self"
Hillary and Obama Backers differ little on Iraq
Few Can Cite Congress's Accomplishments
Dems not seen as over-investigating
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As the Democratic-led Congress approaches the 100-day mark, pluralities of Americans approve of the way that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are handling their leadership roles. However, the public gives Democrats mixed reviews for delivering on their campaign promises and for their policies and proposals. Slightly more disapprove of the Democrats' policies than approve (42% disapprove vs. 37% approve).

Today's Democratic congressional leaders are far less visible – but also less controversial – than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was at a similar point early in the 104th Congress. In April 1995, Republicans were seen as keeping their promises by 59% of the public – far more than the 40% who currently say that about the Democrats. However, Americans were then evenly split in their views of the GOP's proposals.
Source: Pew Center for People and the Press

Download full PDF Report | Link to online summary | Download topline Questionnaire

Census Bureau Report :Single-Parent Households Showed Little Variation Since 1994

From Press Release:
The percentage of households headed by single parents showed little variation from 1994 through 2006, at about 9 percent, up from 5 percent in 1970, according to the latest data on America’s families and households released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to Families and Living Arrangements: 2006, there were 12.9 million one-parent families in 2006 — 10.4 million single-mother families and 2.5 million single-father families.

Just over two-thirds (67 percent) of the nation’s 73.7 million children younger than 18 lived with two married parents in 2006. Also in 2006, there were an estimated 5.8 million stay-at-home parents: 5.6 million mothers and 159,000 fathers.

Other highlights:

* Average household size in 2006 was 2.57 people, down from 3.14 in 1970.
* Slightly more than one in four households (26 percent) consisted of a person living alone in 2006, up from 17 percent in 1970.
* About 5.7 million children, or 8 percent of the total, lived in a household that included a grandparent in 2006. The majority of these children (3.7 million) lived in the grandparent’s home, and of these, about 60 percent had a parent present.
* Among the 13 million children 15 to 17, about 2.3 million were working, and of these, 2.2 million worked part time.
* In 2006, 33 percent of males and 26 percent of females 15 and older had never married, up from 28 and 22 percent in 1970.
* The majority of men and women in 2006 had been married by the time they were 30 to 34 (71 percent), and among men and women 65 and older, 96 percent had been married.

Data are from the 2006 Current Population Survey’s (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), conducted in February, March and April at about 100,000 addresses nationwide.

Downloadable data files and tables available from Census Bureau: Link to download site

Solid Majority Favors Congressional Troop Deadline

36% Think Surge Will Work

A solid majority of Americans say they want their congressional representative to support a bill calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. Nearly six-in-ten (59%) say they would like to see their representative vote for such legislation, compared with just 33% who want their representative to oppose it.

Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

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Growing Share of Immigrants Choosing Naturalization

"The proportion of all legal foreign-born residents who have become naturalized U.S. citizens rose to 52% in 2005, the highest level in a quarter of a century and a 14 percentage point increase since 1990, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center.

The population of naturalized citizens reached 12.8 million in 2005, a historic high that reflects both a rise in the number of legal migrants and an increased likelihood that those who are eligible apply for citizenship. As a result of these combined trends, the average number of naturalizations annually has increased from fewer than 150,000 in the 1970s to more than 650,000 since the mid-1990s." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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Students Entering and Leaving Postsecondary Occupational Education: 1995-2001

"This report uses data from the 1995–96 to 2001 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study to examine three questions concerning students pursuing postsecondary certificates or associate’s degrees in career related fields (referred to here as occupational students): (1) who enters postsecondary occupational education, (2) to what extent do occupational students persist in postsecondary education and attain their credential goals, and (3) what are the labor market outcomes for occupational students who earn credentials? Occupational students were found to be more likely than academic subbaccalaureate students to be female, Black, older, have lower educational backgrounds, and self-identify as “enrolled employees” rather than “working students.” Most of these differences were due to differences between occupational certificate students and the two groups of occupational and academic associate’s degree-seeking students. No differences were found in the rates at which occupational and academic subbaccalaureate students persist in postsecondary education and attain a credential, although occupational students were more likely to “downgrade” to a postsecondary certificate. Finally, no differences were found in the rates at which occupational completers (those who earned a credential) and noncompleters were employed or in their average salary; however, among students who entered a job related to their field of study, average salary increased with the years of education completed." Source: National Center for Education Statistics.

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The New Militarism, Global Terrorism, and the American University: Making Sense of the Assault on Democracy “Here, There, Somewhere”

"This paper examines the ways in which the Bush administration and its allies have targeted the American university as part of a broad assault on democracy. The author maintains that the administration has used the tragic events of September 11 to strike fear in the American people for the purposes of formulating a more aggressive militarization both home and abroad. This “New Militarism” justifies two particular positions with regard to the relationship between the Bush administration and the nation’s universities. First, and because of the potential for criticism to arise from within the walls of the university, the Bush administration and its allies have sought to limit such critiques through a variety of actions and policies. Second, the Bush administration and its supporters have been intent on strengthening the already strong ties between the American university and the U.S. military industrial complex, including the Department of Defense. These two broad assaults have resulted in further deterioration to the American university’s democratic potential and its ability to advance a more just world." Source: InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies.

Download PDF Publication | Link to online Abstract

White House Spins Iraqi Polling

"Results of an ABC News survey of public opinion in Iraq found much pessimism as the fourth anniversary of the war approached. When asked for comment, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow cited a British poll which he said offered a "different conclusion." The British poll's summary did sound less gloomy, but a close look at the numbers showed that the actual results of the two polls are similar." Source: Factcheck.org, Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Link to online analysis with further links to poll sources

What do friends and media tell us? How different information channels affect women’s risk perceptions of age-related female infertility

Abstract: "Based on a survey of a random sample of Swedish 20-40 year old females this paper investigates how different channels of information affect women’s perceptions of the general and the personal risks of age-related female infertility. We find that information from both media and friends and relatives matters for women’s risk perceptions. Just before the original survey was sent out, several Swedish newspapers reported that university students in Sweden tend to overestimate women’s chances of becoming pregnant. Therefore, we sent out another survey to a new sample of women two months later. Comparing responses immediately after the large media report with responses two months later, we cannot find any significant differences. Furthermore, women are most likely to want information from the health care system although, interestingly, women who highly underestimate the general risks for all age groups are less likely to want information from this source." Source: Göteborg University, School of Business, Economics and Law

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Earnings Gap Highlighted by Census Bureau Data

"Adults with advanced degrees earn four times more than those with less than a high school diploma, according to tabulations released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The series of tables, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2006, showed adults 18 and older with a master’s, professional or doctoral degree earned an average of $79,946, while those with less than a high school diploma earned about $19,915.

The tables also showed adults with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $54,689 in 2005, while those with a high school diploma earned $29,448."

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Link to detailed tables for download | Link to Press Release

This year's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship have a better history of graduating student athletes than previous years' contenders

"The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, at the University of Central Florida released its annual study, “Keeping Score When It Counts: Graduation Rates for 2007 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament Teams” which is a comprehensive analysis of the graduation rates of NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament-bound team. The study takes a look at Federal Graduation Rates (FGR), Graduation Success Rates (GSR), and the Academic Progress Rates (APR) for the tournament teams, as reported by the NCAA. The
study compares graduation rates for all student-athletes to basketball student-athletes as well as African-American basketball student-athletes to white basketball student-athletes. Source: University of Central Florida

Download Full PDF Report | Link to report gateway

Related Reports:
2007 APR & Grad. Rate Study of Div. I NCAA Women's Tournament Teams
2007 Division IA Demographic Study

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007

Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats
"Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies have improved the political landscape for the Democrats as the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway.

At the same time, many of the key trends that nurtured the Republican resurgence in the mid-1990s have moderated, according to Pew's longitudinal measures of the public's basic political, social and economic values. The proportion of Americans who support traditional social values has edged downward since 1994, while the proportion of Americans expressing strong personal religious commitment also has declined modestly." Source: Pew Research Center for People and the Press

Download full PDF report | Link to online summary | Download topline questionnaire

U.S. Foreign Aid to Lebanon: Issues for Congress

"In Lebanon today, there is a battle for political primacy between the anti-Syrian, pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the opposition, led by the Hezbollah and former General Michel Aoun. Each camp has its external patrons; the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia support Siniora, while Syria and Iran back the opposition. The 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and Hezbollah's subsequent campaign to obstruct the government through street protests and general strikes have placed enormous strains on the Sinihttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifora-led government. In order to prevent Lebanon's fragile sectarian political system from imploding and to strengthen proWestern and anti-Syrian elements, the United States has pledged to significantly increase its assistance to Lebanon. For FY2007, the Administration is requesting an estimated $770 million in supplemental aid from Congress. This report analyzes this request, highlighting potential issues of concern for Members." Source: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

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Congressional Research Service Report : Who Are the "Middle Class"?

There is no consensus definition of "middle class," neither is there an official government definition. What constitutes the middle class is relative, subjective, and not easily defined. The mid-point in the distribution is the median and in 2005 median household income was $46,326. How far above and below that amount the middle stretches remains the question. The Census Bureau publishes figures breaking the income distribution into quintiles, or fifths. The narrowest view of who might be considered middle class would include those in the middle quintile, those households with income between $36,000 and $57,660. A more generous definition might be based on the three middle quintiles, those households with incomes between $19,178 and $91,705. Surveys suggest that 1% to 3.3% of the population consider themselves to be upper class. Comparing those figures with the income distribution would put the dividing line between middle and upper class close to if not above $250,000. Similarly, survey responses suggest that the lower end of the middle class might be close to $40,000. Much of the legislation considered by Congress is in the name of the so-called "middle class." But there is no consensus definition of middle class. Neither is there an official government definition, and it is not the aim of this report to establish one. What constitutes the middle class is relative, subjective, and not easily defined. Most people likely have decided views as to whether they are middle class. At the same time, those who refer to the middle class have a rough idea whom they have in mind. How closely these two definitions correspond is another matter. In some contexts, the term middle class may refer to a group with shared values or views, but much of the time it is intended to refer to those who fall within a particular range of incomes.Source: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

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Stateline Report: Executions halted as doctors balk

"After 897 executions by lethal injection over the past 25 years, the role of doctors in carrying out the death penalty is surfacing as the latest ethical issue to force a re-examination of capital punishment in the United States.

A conflict between medical ethics and court orders that a doctor participate in lethal injections has halted executions in California, Missouri and North Carolina. But the ethical issue raised by doctors in the death chamber lurks beneath the surface in most of the 37 capital-punishment states that sanction chemical execution, a mode of death also facing separate constitutional challenges over whether it unduly inflicts pain on prisoners." Source: Stateline.org

Link to online article

The Transformation of Academic Work: Facts and Analysis

Abstract: "This paper outlines the main changes that have effected a transformation in the nature of academic work: on the one hand, the increasing diversification and specialisation of academic tasks, and on the other, new forms of control over academic work. An analysis of these trends leads to a discussion of the relationships between the evolution of academic work and non-academic work." Source: Center for Studies in Higher Education. Paper CSHE-4-07 U.C. Berkeley

Download PDF Report | Link to eScholarship repository

Department of Justice documents released regarding firings of U.S. Attorneys

From DOJ Press Release:

"The latest round of disclosures from the Department of Justice raise new and troubling questions about the firing of six United States Attorneys.

We have just received documents from the Justice Department in the last hour and are in the process of reviewing them. At a minimum, we believe these documents show a coordinated effort, initiated by the White House, to purge every United States Attorney in the country. "

Link to documents (pdf):
DOJ documents regarding firings - part 1
DOJ documents regarding firings - part 2
DOJ documents regarding firings - part 3
DOJ documents regarding firings - part 4

The Characteristics of Unauthorized Immigrants in California, Los Angeles County, and the United States

"This report hopes to fill some of the knowledge gaps in the current immigration debate by describing the unauthorized population nationally and in California and Los Angeles—the state and urban area with the largest numbers of these immigrants. Unauthorized immigrants numbered 2.45 million in California in 2004, representing almost one-quarter (24 percent) of the nation's total (10.3 million). There are about 1 million unauthorized immigrants in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, almost twice the number of any other metro area; the unauthorized are one-tenth of the area's population (10 million). The report presents findings about these populations, including their socio-economic characteristics, such as national origin, education, employment, and poverty." Source: Urban Institute


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tudy Shows Uninsured Receive Less Care and Experience Worse Outcomes

"A new study commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation and authored by Dr. Jack Hadley of The Urban Institute and featured in the March 14, 2007, Journal of the American Medical Association theme issue on Access to Care documents that people who are uninsured receive less care and have worse outcomes following an accident or the onset of a new chronic condition than those with insurance.

The study -- based on analysis of eight years of data and over 30,000 observations -- finds that following an accidental injury, the uninsured were less likely than the insured to receive any medical care (78.8% vs. 88.7%). Similarly, the uninsured with a new chronic condition were also less likely to receive care (81.7% vs. 91.5%). In addition, the uninsured with an injury were also twice as likely as those with insurance to have received none of the recommended follow-up care (19.3% vs 9.2%), and a similar pattern held for those with a new chronic condition (9.4% vs 4.4%). In addition, the uninsured with an injury were about twice as likely not to have received any recommended follow-up care (19.3% vs. 9.2%), as was also the case with new chronic conditions. Ultimately, the study indicates that the uninsured were more likely to report not fully recovering and no longer being treated following an accident and roughly seven months after the initial health shock, the uninsured with new chronic conditions reported worse health status than the insured with similar conditions."

Link directly to JAMA Article (free access) | Link to Kaiser Family Foundation

Trends in Public Opinion about the War in Iraq, 2003-2007

Four years after the launch of the U.S. led invasion on March 19, 2003, public opinion about the war in Iraq has turned decidedly negative. Most Americans regret the decision to use military force. Majorities believe the war is not going well, and most say that the United States should bring its troops home as soon as possible. In contrast, when the war began in March 2003 and for quite some time thereafter, the U.S.-led invasion had strong backing from most Americans, and was seen as succeeding quite well. Source: Pew Research Center

Link to online report w/graphs

Pew Report : Latinos Online

"More than one-in-two Latinos (56%) goes online, a lower rate than among non-Hispanic whites (71%) and non-Hispanic blacks (60%). Several socio-economic characteristics that are often intertwined, including low levels of education and limited English ability, largely explain the gap in internet use between Hispanics and non-Hispanics." Source: Pew Hispanic Center

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