Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of issues at the intersection of religion and public life?

Numerous items in the news these days relate to religion and public life, either directly or indirectly. Some issues—such as the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance, the definition of marriage, government funding of faith-based organizations, or the ways in which politicians talk about religion—provide obvious examples of religion's influence in the public square. But on other issues, with perhaps no overt religious angle, religious voices have helped to shape historic and current public debate. Examples of these include cloning and embryonic stem cell research, U.S. foreign policy, just war theory and its application to current events, capital punishment, and welfare reform. The Pew Forum has addressed many of these issues through public events, commissioned research and polling. For a complete list of all issues on which the Pew Forum offers analysis and resources for further reading, please visit the issues page.

Does the Forum take positions on legislation?

As a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization, the Forum does not take positions on policy debates or legislation.

Who is the Forum's target audience?

The Forum delivers timely, impartial information to national opinion leaders, including government officials, journalists, policy analysts and national advocacy organizations.

What is the Forum's relationship to the Pew Research Center and The Pew Charitable Trusts?

The Pew Forum is a project of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Trusts established PRC in August 2004 as a sign of its long-term commitment to informing the public with credible, reliable research and polling. The creation of the Pew Research Center was made possible by the increased flexibility afforded to the Trusts by its change to a public charity on January 1, 2004.

What other organizations are affiliated with the Pew Research Center?

The Pew Research Center brings together under one umbrella the following initiatives supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts: the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the Pew Hispanic Center, the Project for Excellence in Journalism, Stateline.org, the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Social & Demographic Trends and the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Each project will continue to carry out its individual mission.

Who runs the Pew Research Center?

The subsidiary has its own governing board, which oversees day-to-day operations, including setting policies and approving budgets. Andrew Kohut, the director of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, serves as president of the PRC. Paul Taylor, a long-time journalist, is PRC's executive vice president. The management team also includes the directors of the seven information projects, who continue to manage each initiative and preserve their distinctive research agenda and identities.