Title: Response from Pew Research Center to “In Polls We Trust” | Alan Cooperman | First Things
Headings: Response from Pew Research Center to “In Polls We Trust”
Response from Pew Research Center to “In Polls We Trust”
Articles by Alan Cooperman

Content: And the tenets and teachings of religious organizations are rooted in their respective theologies. But we should not ignore poll findings. Surveys are uniquely positioned to inform the public about the broad contours of the U.S. religious landscape and of the religious trends impacting American society. How are Catholics in the U.S. responding to Pope Francis? What might explain the nationwide growth of those who say they have no particular religion? What do Americans think of recent historic Supreme Court rulings? These and other important questions can be answered, on a macro-scale, only by polling. Religion and society cannot be completely understood by deep qualitative methods or public opinion research alone. Both are critical. Alan Cooperman is Director of Religion Research and Greg Smith is Associate Director of Research at the Pew Research Center.