THE 2004 POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: EVENLY DIVIDED AND INCREASINGLY POLARIZED

(Survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, released November 5, 2003). A year before Election Day, Americans are politically divided and increasingly polarized in their beliefs, according to a new survey of political attitudes and values released by the Pew Research Center. The political landscape has changed drastically from what it was four years ago. Since then, terrorists attacked the United States, the economy declined, and the military waged war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The survey was conducted in the summer and the fall, and was based on more than 4,000 interviews in which individuals were asked 96 questions on various topics, including foreign policy, civil liberties, race, religion, and social values.