Most Americans support the separation of church and state

Americans are divided over Christian prayer in public schools

A 2024 Pew survey found that over half (52%) of US adults favor allowing teachers in the public school system to lead their classes in prayers that mention Jesus, though results vary widely by state.

The words 'separation of church and state' are not found in the Constitution

Responding to Connecticut Baptists concerned about religious liberty, Jefferson described the First Amendment as building "a wall of separation between church and state." The Supreme Court later cited the letter as an authoritative guide to the Establishment Clause.

See the religious breakdown of the US from 2007 to 2024.

35% of Americans have moved on from their childhood religion

A new Pew Research analysis finds that most Americans still identify with their childhood religion, but 35% have switched or left entirely—often due to lost belief or drifting away.

Americans are historically more supportive of free speech than people in most other countries

A 2016 survey of 38 countries found that the US scored highest in support for free expression, with 71% of Americans saying people should be able to say what they want without government censorship, more than in any other nation surveyed.

See the religious breakdown of your state and how it compares to the rest of the country.

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey of religion across all 50 states and Washington, DC. This data visualization allows you to select any state to see how religious it is compared to the rest of the country.

More than half of American adults believe in the afterlife

It’s hard to find actual data regarding ghosts, but a survey conducted by Pew Research Group in 2023, revealed that around half of the US adult population believes ghosts can interact with the living, with most thinking that spirits can help rather than harm us.

Half of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the IRS, while 38% have a favorable view

From July 1 to July 7, 2024, Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 9,424 adults to gauge the public's attitudes about the federal government, including government agencies and departments. Of 13 agencies, 10 had net favorable ratings of 15 percentage points or more. Topping the list were the National Park Service (76% favorable), the US Postal Service (72%) and NASA (67%).

Every single American state constitution references God or the divine, though the federal Constitution does not.

Data indicates a strong concentration of religious people live in the American South

The Northeast and West Coast tend to be less religious. Mississippi is the most religious state, with 50% of adults classified as highly religious. Vermont is the least religious at 13%.

France has a strict and explicit separation of church and state

France's principle of laïcité—strict separation of church and state—prohibits religious expression in public institutions, including the wearing of religious clothing and symbols in public schools and by government employees.

Most Americans support age limits for justices, elected officials

As members of Congress and Supreme Court justices continue to serve at an average age far older than in the past, polls show a majority of Americans favor setting an age limit for these roles. Roughly 79% support caps for federal elected officials, and 74% favor such limits for Supreme Court justices. A constitutional amendment would be required.

Approximately 10% of American K-12 students are enrolled in private schools.

A majority of Americans support replacing the Electoral College with a popular vote.

'Under God' was added to the pledge in 1954 as an anti-communist statement

When President Eisenhower signed the phrase into law on Flag Day 1954, the intent was ideological: to distinguish American democracy from "godless" Soviet communism. The author of the original 1892 pledge, Francis Bellamy, was himself a Baptist minister who believed in the separation of church and state, making the addition an inversion of his intent.

A vast majority of Americans support term limits for Congress

In a 2023 poll, 87% of respondents said they supported imposing term limits on members of Congress. The overwhelming bipartisan backing makes term limits one of the most consistently popular political reforms in the United States.

Read the language in the Constitution that protects religious freedom in the US

The First Amendment's religion clauses include two provisions: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. These two parts prevent the government from endorsing any specific religion and from interfering with the free practice of religion.

Social Security is one of the most popular government programs

In a recent Pew Research Center survey of US adults, 79% said Social Security benefits shouldn’t be reduced in any way. This view is broadly shared across ages, races, political affiliations, and income brackets.

A 2020 poll found that 60% of Americans want 'The Star-Spangled Banner' to remain the national anthem.

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A poll from May 2025 found that a majority of Americans oppose ending birthright citizenship

As legal challenges progressed, a May 2025 NPR/Ipsos poll showed fewer than one-third of Americans supported eliminating birthright citizenship, despite broader public backing for other immigration restrictions.

In a spring 2026 survey, more Americans said they support a ban on students using cellphones during the entire school day than oppose it.

Sharp partisan divides shape how Americans view immigration enforcement

A January 2026 survey shows large party gaps: Both sides broadly support recording arrests, but Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to support sharing officer locations and to oppose profiling, masked officers, and neighborhood-based enforcement.

A majority of Americans think President Trump is using more power than previous presidents

An October 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 69% of Americans believed President Trump was trying to exert more power than previous presidents. Most Democrats viewed it negatively, while about half of Republicans said it was good for the country.

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) created a 3-part test for church-state entanglement

In this case, the Supreme Court established a three-part test—requiring a secular purpose, no advancement of religion, and avoidance of excessive entanglement—for laws concerning the Establishment Clause. The test was later effectively sidelined in recent rulings.

Madison argued that the government had no authority to regulate faith

James Madison viewed religion as a matter of individual conscience beyond the reach of the state, opposing government funding of churches and advancing a model of religious liberty based on noninterference rather than official toleration.

Religion dominated many aspects of Colonial life and was enforced by the government

Eight of the 13 British Colonies in America had official, established churches, and laws mandated that everyone attend a house of worship and pay taxes that funded ministers' salaries.

A majority in surveyed countries approve of the UN

A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that a median of 58% across 35 countries viewed the UN favorably, while 31% held unfavorable views. Notably, younger adults tended to view the UN more positively than older generations. The report offers a detailed, country-by-country analysis of global perceptions of the UN.

Roger Williams founded the first American colony without an established church

Banished from Massachusetts in 1636 for preaching religious dissent, Williams founded Providence, Rhode Island—one of the earliest governments in the Western world to guarantee broad religious liberty. His phrase "wall of separation" between church and state directly influenced Jefferson and the Constitution's framers.

80% of Americans are bothered that some wealthy people don't pay their fair share of taxes

That's according to data from Pew Research Center. While most people are primarily taxed on their wages, many people in America's 1% derive much of their income from investments instead, which are often taxed at preferential capital gains rates. This structure was shaped by a series of legislative cuts that began in earnest with the 1978 Revenue Act and the 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act.

Divorces in the US have been steadily declining over the past few decades

Despite these recent declines, divorce rates in the US remain between 40% and 50%. But there’s some nuance to those numbers. For instance, having a college degree makes individuals 30% less likely to divorce than those without one. People who attend church are also less likely to divorce. And prenuptial agreements are considerably likely to prevent contentious court battles.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, which directly influenced the US Constitution

Drafted by Jefferson, the statute guaranteed freedom of worship to people of all faiths. Jefferson considered it one of his greatest achievements, and it served as the direct model for the First Amendment's religion clauses.

China is now viewed more favorably than the US in a majority of 36 countries surveyed this year.

A map of religious radio stations in the US

A Pew analysis of 440,000 hours of broadcasts found more than 4,000 faith-based AM/FM stations reach 98% of American adults (out of a total of 17,000 licensed stations). Ownership is highly concentrated, with the top 30% of stations belonging to large groups; Educational Media Foundation's K-LOVE and Air1 networks alone hold hundreds of licenses nationwide.

Hear how the 2 religious clauses in the First Amendment have been tested and evolved over time

This podcast examines the evolution of the free exercise and establishment clauses, tracing their development from federal restrictions to state and local laws. Discover the believers who challenged the limits of religious freedom throughout American history.

Americans showed an unprecedented surge of patriotism after 9/11

In the weeks following 9/11, 79% of US adults reported displaying the American flag, and a year later, 62% said they "often felt patriotic" due to the attacks.

The separation of powers is a pivotal component of the US Constitution

Explore how the three branches interact through the Supreme Court case of US v. Alvarez. The Supreme Court first struck down a law, then Congress and the president later revised it—illustrating how judicial review can reshape legislation and executive action.

Global support for free speech and press freedom has declined since 2019

A 2025 Pew Research survey found that the share of people worldwide who consider free speech and press freedom important has declined over the past several years, even though majorities in most countries still say these rights matter.

The First Amendment established religious freedom as a constitutional right—a safeguard no other nation had before

Europe had limited religious tolerance for centuries, but always as a privilege granted by rulers who could revoke it. The First Amendment in the United States was unique for the time: It banned the government from interfering with religion, making religious freedom a permanent constitutional limit on state power.

As of 2022, Congress was more ideologically polarized than at any point in 50 years

Research from the Pew Research Center indicates that Democrat and Republican lawmakers have become more ideologically unified internally while moving further apart overall—with Republicans shifting to the right faster than Democrats have shifted to the left.

The United States ranks 32nd globally in religious diversity, though it ranks first among the ten most populous nations.

35% of polled Americans said they'd view people differently if they knew they had a mental illness.

The earliest colonial schools were often religious

The earliest American schools were far from our notions of “public” or “private”—they were neighborhood institutions, often founded by religious groups, that sought to educate children academically and spiritually.

Reynolds v. United States (1878) established that religious belief is not a defense for a crime

In the first major Supreme Court case on the free exercise clause, the court ruled that the government cannot regulate religious belief, but it can regulate religious practice if it violates the law. The case arose from a Mormon man convicted of polygamy who argued his faith required it.

Maryland required officeholders to declare a belief in God until 1961

In Torcaso v. Watkins (1961), the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a Maryland requirement that officeholders declare belief in God violated the First and 14th Amendments. The decision struck down religious tests for public office across all states.

The First Amendment protects 5 distinct freedoms

Most Americans cite the amendment on free speech, but the First Amendment also protects religion, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government—five separate guarantees in a single sentence.

Americans between the ages of 45 and 55 pay nearly 30% of all income taxes, paying an average tax rate of around 17%.

Employment Division v. Smith (1990) reaffirmed the Reynolds decision that the law applies to everyone, regardless of faith

The Supreme Court ruled that the government does not have to grant religious exemptions from laws that apply to everyone. The case involved Native American church members fired for using peyote in a religious ceremony.

Many religions have core majorities in certain countries

Though most religions have members across the world, they also have major concentrated populations in specific nations. For example, 95% of Hindus live in India, while 85% of the world's Jews live in Israel and the US.

Many early colonists came to America to escape religious persecution in Europe

Fleeing state-sponsored religious oppression in England and Europe, many early colonists sought freedom of conscience in the New World. Many—especially in New England—established their own religiously exclusive communities: They persecuted dissenters, expelled nonconformists, and enforced orthodoxy.

How many Americans receive government assistance?

In 2022, nearly half of all American children—and roughly one in three Americans overall—were enrolled in at least one government assistance program. Those programs provide support for people who cannot afford healthcare, food, housing, or other needs. Find out more about the number of Americans receiving government assistance here.