Greg Smith

@gregsmithpolls.bsky.social

Associate Director, Religion Research @pewresearch.org

Posting about issues at the intersection of religion and public life

Videos

Economics 19%

Philosophy 19%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Adam Roberts , and 5 more Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Adam Roberts, Greg Smith, Greg Linden, Brooke Harrington, Simon Lester, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · Oct 2

% of US men under 30 who say legal sports betting is a *bad thing* for society

22% in 2022
47% in 2025

No other demographic group has seen a bigger increase.

Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports

Today, 43% of U.S. adults say the fact that sports betting is now legal in much of the country is a bad thing for society, up from 34% in 2022.

www.pewresearch.org

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Sep 12

U.S. Catholics are still getting to know Pope Leo XIV. But they like what they've seen so far.

pewrsr.ch/46j5YDo

Reposted by Greg Smith, Greg Linden

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 8

Remember, if you encounter what seems like an implausible survey finding, ask:
1. Were survey respondents selected randomly or was this an opt-in poll?
2. Could the results, especially for young adults, be driven by bogus respondents?

Keep this post in mind: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪

Reposted by Greg Smith

Chip Rotolo @chiprotolo.bsky.social · Sep 5

Core measures of religiousness, by decade born

From @pewresearch.org's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study

Read more: pewrsr.ch/3EXnfrS

Reposted by Greg Smith

Stephanie Kramer @stephaniekramer.bsky.social · Aug 21

The U.S. immigrant population grew at a record-breaking pace throughout the past few years but has shrunk since January, marking its first decline since the 1960s.

www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

What the data says about immigrants in the U.S.

As of June 2025, the country’s foreign-born population had shrunk by more than a million people, marking its first decline since the 1960s.

www.pewresearch.org

Reposted by Greg Smith

John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · Jul 10

With the IRS planning to let churches endorse political candidates, past surveys show that a majority of Americans oppose the idea. In 2022, 77% of US adults – including 84% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans – said churches shouldn't endorse candidates. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Bar chart showing that in a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 77% of U.S. adults said churches and other houses of worship should not come out in favor of one political candidate over another.

Reposted by Greg Smith

Brian Schaffner @bfschaffner.bsky.social · Jun 18

it's been 10 years since the last @pewresearch.org Religious Landscape Study, but the release of a new study gave Caroline Soler a chance to see how the CES stacked up against this benchmark. overall, the surveys produce very similar portraits of religion in America!
sites.tufts.edu/cooperativee...

Does the CES accurately reflect America’s religious landscape? – Cooperative Election Study Blog

sites.tufts.edu

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Jun 16

New @pewresearch.org report takes a deep look at Catholic life in U.S. It finds

20% of U.S. adults are Catholic (religiously speaking)
9% are "cultural Catholics"
9% are former Catholics
9% are connected to Catholicism in other ways (through spouse, parent, etc.)

Much more: pewrsr.ch/4eaMtk2

Reposted by Greg Smith

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Jun 16

England is experiencing a churchgoing revival, according to a recent report based on nonprobability polls.

David Voas is skeptical. He explains that probability-based survey data doesn't point to a revival. Nor does data from Christian denominations.
theconversation.com/is-there-rea...

The Bible Society recently published a report claiming that church attendance in England and Wales increased by more than half between 2018 and 2024. The revival was especially striking among young men, with reported church attendance jumping from 4% to 21% over this short period.

As a quantitative social scientist who has studied religious change in modern societies for more than 25 years, I’m surprised – and sceptical. I do not doubt that the Bible Society acted in good faith, but they haven’t engaged with the mountain of evidence, some of it very recent, pointing to religious decline.

The annual British Social Attitudes survey – widely regarded as the best and most reliable source of data on such matters – shows that the share of adults in England and Wales who said that they were Christian and went to church at least monthly fell by nearly a quarter (from 12.2% to 9.3%) between 2018 and 2023, the last year available. The Bible Society surveys suggest that churchgoers were 8% of the adult population in 2018 and 12% in 2024.

The main Christian denominations (Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist) conduct and publish their own attendance counts every year. Those show that while churchgoing continues to rebound from the lows of the COVID lockdown, attendance at worship services remains substantially lower than it was in 2019, before the pandemic. In the Church of England, average weekly attendance is down about 20% from pre-pandemic levels, and the story is similar in other denominations.

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Jun 13

Hi Sam, is there something particular you need? We do our best to make our data publicly available while also doing our best to protect respondent privacy!

Reposted by Greg Smith

Ruth Braunstein @ruthbraunstein.bsky.social · Jun 4

Today at noon! @sssreligion.bsky.social is hosting a webinar on "From Francis to Leo XIV: Looking into a Post "Who Am I to Judge?" Catholic Church" feat. 2024 Student Paper Award winner Fr. Lucas Sharma S.J. w/ Tia Noelle Pratt & Tricia Bruce, moderated by Ariela Keysar.

Reposted by Greg Smith, Martin Kreidl, Thomas A. Tweed

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Jun 3

PLEASE SHARE:
We just posted an ad for TWO research assistant positions on @pewresearch.org's religion team.

We expect a lot of applications so it's best to apply this week for full consideration.

Come work with our great team!

pewtrusts.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Center...

Project Overview

Pew Research Center is seeking two Research Assistants to join its Religion research project. The Research Assistants will support the project’s demography of religion and U.S. survey research teams. The demography of religion team analyzes data on the religious identity and characteristics of populations. It produces reports describing the religious composition of countries as well as other topics at the intersection of religion and social trends (e.g. religion and educational attainment, gender differences in religious commitment levels). The U.S. survey research team produces reports that explore issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. Through public opinion surveys and other quantitative tools, it studies religious groups in the U.S. and examines the influence of religion on politics and society.

The people in these positions will work closely with other researchers on staff and will report to an Associate Director of Religion research.

Primary Responsibilities

Compiling and analyzing data from surveys and censuses
Descriptive statistical analysis
Creating tables and charts in Stata, Excel, Word and PowerPoint
Contacting statistical agencies to request information and custom tables
Data cleaning, maintaining and reviewing internal files and databases
Number checking, fact checking, proofing
Performing background research, including literature reviews, contacting subject matter experts and online data gathering
Assisting with questionnaire development
Coordinate the translation and checking of questionnaires

Education/Training/Experience

B.A. degree is required. A concentration in sociology, political science, economics or another social science is desirable
Strong quantitative skills, background in data management and analysis preferred
Experience undertaking research using Stata, R, SPSS or other statistical software
Mastery of descriptive statistics
Knowledge and Skill Requirements

Quantitative skills, including an ability to use Stata, SPSS or other statistical software
Interest in public and/or international affairs, particularly in issues concerning religion and the intersection of religion and public life
Strong verbal and written communications skills
Facility using syntax commands to carefully document analysis using log files is desired
Ability to balance numerous projects simultaneously
Attention to detail, including exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality in all work products
Proven ability to communicate research results clearly and concisely
Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with staff from the religion team, as well as with staff from other Pew Research Center projects and outside organizations
Ability to balance multiple projects and meet tight deadlines while ensuring accuracy in data management, fact checking and research
Ability to communicate in more than one language is advantageous

Reposted by Greg Smith, Gayle Kaufman

Juliana Horowitz @jmhorowitz.bsky.social · May 29

Today we released a major @pewresearch.org survey of LGBTQ adults looking at:

▶️ Views of social acceptance for LGBTQ people
▶️ Personal experiences with acceptance, discrimination
▶️ Experiences with coming out
▶️ Identity
▶️ Community, friends and LGBTQ spaces

Read on for findings from each section.

The Experiences of LGBTQ Americans Today

How lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer adults view the impact of Obergefell and social acceptance for LGBTQ people more broadly 10 years after the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex...

www.pewresearch.org

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · May 9

Interested in trends in the makeup of the US Catholic population?

20% of U.S. adults are Catholic, a figure that's been stable for years.

A growing share are Latinos, and upwards of 4-in-10 Catholics are immigrants or the children of immigrants.

Much more from @pewresearch.org pewrsr.ch/3VRqirS

Reposted by Greg Smith

Pollcat, AKA Scott Keeter @pollcat.bsky.social · May 8

We took a broad look at social trust in America today. With a survey of almost 37,000 people we were able to look at levels of trust across the states and even in metro areas. Check out our new report here www.pewresearch.org/SocialTrust

Americans’ Trust in One Another

Americans trust each other less than they did a few decades ago. We explore why this is, and why some are more trusting than others.

www.pewresearch.org

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Apr 30

New @pewresearch.org

60% of US Catholics say the Church should be more inclusive even if that means changing some teachings. 37% say Church should stick to traditional teachings even if gets smaller.

Big differences on this & other questions by Mass attendance.

Much more pewrsr.ch/44AA8mv

Reposted by Greg Smith

Chip Rotolo @chiprotolo.bsky.social · Apr 28

NEW: White evangelicals continue to stand out in their support for Trump, including 72% who approve of the way Trump is currently handling his job as president.

Here's how White evangelicals and other major U.S. religious groups view the second Trump administration.
pewrsr.ch/42L6bNS

White evangelicals continue to stand out in their support for Trump

Most White evangelicals (72%) say they approve of how Trump is doing as president. Other religious groups are more divided or disapprove.

pewrsr.ch

Reposted by Greg Smith

Faith Angle Forum @faithangleforum.bsky.social · Apr 24

You can watch Alan Cooperman of @pewresearch.org ‘s opening presentation at Faith Angle Miami here youtu.be/yYM75CDZ4m0?...

Faith Angle Forum: A New US Religious Landscape

YouTube video by The Aspen Institute

youtu.be

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Apr 22

Our recent post includes our latest info on the size of the U.S. Catholic population and data about their demographics, beliefs and practices.

One interesting finding - more than four-in-ten U.S. Catholics are immigrants (29%) or the children of immigrants (14%).

Much more here: pewrsr.ch/3VRqirS

Reposted by Greg Smith

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) @sssreligion.bsky.social · Apr 12

New @nyupress.bsky.social book is "the latest in a series of important sociological overviews drawing on nation-wide surveys administered every six years, Catholicism at a Crossroads charts this new era of Catholic worship, belonging, and identity in America today." nyupress.org/978147983218...

Catholicism at a Crossroads

Offers a big picture analysis of American CatholicismThe Catholic Church is at a crossroads. In the United States alone there are many challenges facing the ...

nyupress.org

Reposted by Greg Smith

Nonreligion in a Complex Future @nonreligioncf.bsky.social · Apr 10

Register now for our upcoming webinar where @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social (Pew Research) will discuss findings from the Pew Religious Landscape Study 2023-2024, with comments by Kati Tervo-Niemelä, Peter Beyer, and Ryan Cragun

Date: Apr. 22
Time: 11 am ET

Register uottawa-ca.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Nonreligion and the Pew Religious Landscape Study

In this webinar, Gregory A. Smith (Pew Research Center) will discuss findings from the Pew Religious Landscape Study 2023-2024, followed by commentary from Kati Tervo-Niemelä (University of Eastern Finland), Peter Beyer (University of Ottawa), and Ryan Cragun (University of Tampa).

Date: April 22, 2025
Time: 11:00 am ET

Reposted by Greg Smith

The Association of Religion Data Archives @religiondata.bsky.social · Mar 25

New on the ARDA: American Trends Panel Wave 99 — Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Enhancement

This survey concentrates on public views about six developments related to AI applications and human enhancements.

Dive into the dataset at thearda.com/data-archive?fid=ATPW99.

Reposted by Greg Smith

Anna Brown @aebrown.bsky.social · Mar 21

Last year we encountered a strange glitch in one of our surveys…the word “yes” was being replaced with the word “forks” in response options. Read on to learn how we unraveled what was causing it, how we ensured it didn’t impact the data quality, and what to do if it happens to you!

How a glitch in an online survey replaced the word ‘yes’ with ‘forks’

Dating back to at least early 2023, a bizarre and alarming technical glitch started popping up in some organizations’ online surveys and forms.

www.pewresearch.org

Reposted by Greg Smith

Pollcat, AKA Scott Keeter @pollcat.bsky.social · Mar 21

You probably don't often turn to the survey methodology world for a good detective story, but here is one from my colleague Anna Brown pewrsr.ch/4isAu2s

How a glitch in an online survey replaced the word ‘yes’ with ‘forks’

Dating back to at least early 2023, a bizarre and alarming technical glitch started popping up in some organizations’ online surveys and forms.

pewrsr.ch

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Mar 14

I really enjoyed this discussion.

Just noting that the public use dataset from the 2023-24 RLS is available for download www.pewresearch.org/dataset/2023...

A "restricted" file with more granular religious and geographic variables is under review & will be available soon through ICPSR.

Reposted by Greg Smith

Juliana Horowitz @jmhorowitz.bsky.social · Mar 14

We released a new report yesterday looking at the pressures teens face, their future aspirations, and how they see the experiences of boys and girls at their school. Among many important findings: 60% of teen girls - vs. 46% of boys - say they plan to attend a 4-year college. pewrsr.ch/4kKMHRC

The Gender Gap in Teen Experiences

Teen girls and boys in the U.S. face different pressures and report different experiences at school, though they have many of the same goals in life.

pewrsr.ch

Reposted by Greg Smith, Jared Rubin

Samuel Perry @profsamperry.bsky.social · Mar 5

Are you a PhD student in Political Science or Sociology interested in religion & public life? Apply for a *fully funded* opportunity to join us this summer (June 16-21) as part of the inaugural Wheatley Seminar in Religion & Politics. Apply by March 31. Details here:
wheatley.byu.edu/religionsemi...

Wheatley Seminar on Religion and Politics

wheatley.byu.edu

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Mar 4

For additional information about U.S. Catholics (and many other groups!), check out the Religious Landscape Study's interactive website.

www.pewresearch.org/religious-la...

Catholics | Religious Landscape Study | Pew Research Center

The Religious Landscape Study is a comprehensive survey of more than 35,000 Americans’ religious identities, beliefs and practices that’s been conducted in 2007, 2014 and 2023-24. Pew Research Center.

www.pewresearch.org

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Mar 4

Just updated with new data from the Religious Landscape Study: 10 Facts about U.S. Catholics

pewrsr.ch/3F4edcw

One interesting finding: about 4-in-10 U.S. Catholics are immigrants or the children of immigrants

Greg Smith @gregsmithpolls.bsky.social · Mar 3

In the new Religious Landscape Study, women are more religious than men, on average. But the gender gap shows signs of narrowing. It's a bit smaller now than before, and it's smaller among young adults than among older people.

pewrsr.ch/4inD0X8

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