Pew Research Center

While most Americans oppose government funding of abortion, concern about abortion funding plays only a small role in driving opposition to the health care reform legislation. If anything, opposition to reform has declined since abortion was debated.

As international pressure mounts on Iran to halt its nuclear program, Americans and Europeans generally express serious concerns about the potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran. These fears are somewhat muted in Russia

The public continues to express concern about the rise of Islamic extremism in the United States and abroad, but a survey taken shortly after the deadly Nov. 5 shootings at the Fort Hood Army base shows only a modest increase in these concerns since 2007.

Faith-based initiatives remain popular eight years after President Bush unveiled his plan, but church-state concerns remain, and not all religions garner high support for receiving funds. Also, 9% of Americans say they recently have turned to religious groups to help make ends meet.

Americans are famous both for being weight conscious and at the same time unable to come to terms successfully with their bloated waistlines. The same paradox has applied to how the public looks at budget deficits for a very long time.

As President Obama embarks on his first trip to Asia he will be greeted by publics who are confident in his judgment regarding world affairs and who generally agree with his international policies.

A transatlantic consensus exists with regard to the threat posed by extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, even though Americans and Western Europeans generally disagree about what policy to pursue in Afghanistan.

Two-thirds of the public is dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country. Despite the public’s grim mood, overall opinion of Barack Obama has not soured, but opinions about congressional incumbents are another matter.