Insights & Analysis
Evidence-based commentary examining where America’s stated values collide with political behavior, public policy, culture, and everyday life.
Eight lenses for understanding moral strain
Browse the latest reporting below or use these themes to understand how each story fits the Index.
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Shoplifting Is Down 12%. The Panic Was Bigger Than the Data, and the Crime Is Changing Shape.
Retailers reported a 12.4% drop in shoplifting in 2025, and city police data agrees. But some cities saw real spikes, a famous industry theft…
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One Quarter Had Not Married by 40: What the 2021 Census Finding Does and Does Not Mean
Pew’s analysis of Census data: 25% of 40-year-olds had never married in 2021, up from 6% in 1980. What that does and does not…
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Impeached Twice, Convicted Once, Never Tried Federally: The Trump Record and the Test It Puts to You
Two impeachments and two acquittals, 34 felony convictions with no penalty, a federal case ended by his reelection, and a blanket January 6 pardon.…
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Gallup’s 27% Institutional Confidence Average: Why the Individual Ratings Matter
Gallup’s June 2026 poll puts average confidence in 14 core U.S. institutions at 27%. What the average hides, how the parties differ, and what…
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The Young Trust Each Other Least. They’re Also the Only Ones Getting Better.
Only 35% of Americans born in the 2000s say most people can be trusted, versus 77% of those born before 1960. But their trust…
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Religious Attendance in 2025: Lower Participation and the Duty to Serve
Gallup’s 2025 data: 31% attend weekly or nearly weekly, 57% seldom or never. What the numbers show, how Pew’s survey differs, and what neither…
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Falling Crime and Public Perception: Comparing the Dates Before Declaring a Gap
FBI’s preliminary 2025 data show violent crime down an estimated 9.3%. Gallup’s 2025 poll found 49% still said crime rose. What each measures, and…
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That Panicked Call From Your Grandson Might Be a Clone. Here’s the Family Plan.
The FBI logged nearly $893 million in losses tied to AI scams in 2025, including voice clones of loved ones. Imposter scams cost Americans…
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Overdose Deaths Fell in CDC’s 2025 Estimate: Progress Worth Protecting
CDC’s provisional estimate puts 2025 U.S. overdose deaths near 70,000, down almost 14% from 2024. What the data show, what they can’t, and what…
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One in Three Americans Can’t Name the Branches of Government. The Real Problem Is Worse.
The 2026 Annenberg survey found 35% of adults can’t name all three branches, only 29% know the First Amendment protects the press, and 25%…
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A Man Faked Biden’s Voice to Tell Voters to Stay Home. A Jury Acquitted Him. Welcome to the Deepfake Era.
An operative admitted using an AI clone of Biden’s voice to discourage New Hampshire voters, and a jury acquitted him. Pew finds 66% of…
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What the Moral Decay Index Is, How It Works, and Why It Has No Score
The Moral Decay Index measures the gap between the values Americans claim and the conduct they excuse. Here are the eight lenses, our evidence…