Weekly: 9.19.26

Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ Americans value press freedom but differ on its limits While Americans largely support press freedom in principle, half or more also say the government should be able to restrict news reporting in certain cases, particularly if it endangers national security or contains inaccurate information. Republicans and Democrats also tend to think about press freedom differently. Globally, more people expect AI to cause job loss than growth Across 37 countries, people feel generally pessimistic about the potential impacts of AI on jobs and economic inequality, though many say they’re not sure. Concern in some nations runs especially high among younger adults. Many Israelis and Palestinians say they cannot coexist peacefully – and explain why Almost three years after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, most Israelis (56%) and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (68%) say a two-state solution isn’t possible. Those who reject the possibility of peaceful coexistence often cite a fundamental incompatibility between the two peoples. 2026 primary season yields greatest preelection House turnover in over 3 decades As Election Day approaches, 74 members of the U.S. House of Representatives – 42 Republicans and 32 Democrats – won’t return to the chamber next year for one reason or another. That’s the most departures before the general election since 1992. Who is Hispanic? National Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept. 15. More than 70 million people in the U.S. identify as Hispanic, but government agencies and survey organizations don’t count the Hispanic population in the same way. And Hispanic people describe their own identities using a variety of terms. Weighting polls on party affiliation and past vote A growing share of election polls in the United States – almost 70% of national polls in 2024 – are now weighted on political party affiliation or reported vote choice in a previous election. This kind of political weighting is controversial. But evidence shows that it has made polls modestly more accurate. The U.S. Constitution is among the hardest in the world to amend From our research The share of Americans who correctly answer all eight questions on our First Amendment quiz. How will you score?