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Antibiotics are one of the greatest success stories in modern medicine. Although we associate them with treating acute infections, these drugs underpin much of health care—from routine surgical procedures to organ transplants and cancer treatment. Unfortunately, the history of antibiotics is a race between innovation and resistance.

People in America have long grappled with mental health conditions and substance use, and for many individuals, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues. The numbers are stark: In 2021, nearly 1 in 4 adults had a mental illness; nearly 1 in 3 adults had a substance use disorder or mental illness; and more than 12 million adults had serious thoughts of suicide.

Great advances in treating and preventing disease starts with cutting edge research. Pew’s support for biomedical research gives young scientists in the United States and Latin America the opportunity to continue their studies, take previous research in new directions, or pursue ideas that spark their intellectual curiosity.

Rising health care costs concern many Americans, from patients and consumers to doctors and hospital executives, elected leaders, and other policymakers. Several factors can worsen medical inflation in unseen and surprising ways.

Arts and culture enrich civic life, help inspire children to learn and create, and strengthen local economies. Pew works with partners in Philadelphia and the surrounding region to support the performing and visual arts, museums and libraries, historic buildings and sites, and parks and gardens.

The states and federal government provide substantial resources for higher education, to support institutions, promote research, and improve access and affordability for students and families. The mechanisms include spending programs, tax provisions, and direct-to-consumer lending.

Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, is also Pew's hometown. Pew's commitment to the Philadelphia region reflects our significant historical ties to the city where our founders began their philanthropic efforts.

Economic mobility—the ability to move up or down the economic ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next—is fundamental to the American Dream. As policymakers seek to foster equality of opportunity, it is critical that their decisions be based on robust and nonpartisan research and analysis.

Financial products and services are crucial in helping millions of Americans spend, save, borrow, and invest. Nevertheless, many contain hidden risks that can increase debt, drain savings, and damage credit.

Policymakers at all levels of government have many difficult choices to make as rising health care, education, and infrastructure costs place pressures on annual budgets and outpace revenue growth.

Planning for retirement is important for employees and their employers. In the public sector, pension reform is arguably one of the most significant fiscal challenges facing many states and municipalities today. Although some plans are well-funded, in other places, if changes are not made, retirees, workers, and taxpayers will be left with rising costs and unpaid promises for years to come.

International understanding is increasingly important as the global marketplace grows, economies and financial systems become interconnected, and the rapid movement of ideas and trends through social media brings the world closer together.

America’s growing Latino population is changing our nation’s demographics, politics, economy, culture, and future. Pew seeks to improve public understanding of the diverse Hispanic population in the United States and to chronicle the impact Latinos are having on the United States.

As recently as 1995, 42 percent of American adults said they had never heard of the Internet. Today, use of the Internet is pervasive at home, work, and on mobile devices. It is a primary source of news, information, entertainment, and social interaction.

Technology has changed how people consume news, as well as the process of gathering it. Information is now almost instantaneous and available anywhere in the world. And news has been democratized so that voices outside the mainstream can be heard.

Pew studies and analyzes issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs by conducting surveys, demographic analyses, and other research about the practice of religion and its place in American life.

Societal changes drive public policy. These shifts include an aging population; the growth of high tech and service sector jobs; evolving views on race, ethnicity, and immigration; and changes in family structure.

The United States is the oldest continuous democracy in the world, and a model and inspiration for other nations seeking to build democratic institutions. One of the core pillars of American liberty is a free press. Pew conducts opinion surveys that track public attitudes toward the press and politics.

Making smart choices about infrastructure policy can help address larger policy challenges, from transportation to technology to flood protection. Pew’s research examines issues that are critical to improving the economy, our shared environment, and civic life.

Federal laws and regulations affect the lives of every American. Pew’s national policy agenda has included work to improve the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices; address the challenge of antibiotic resistance; foster a robust dialogue on economic mobility; and provide consumers with better information about financial products.

State lawmakers play a major role in advancing the quality of Americans’ lives, from helping to protect the air we breathe and water we drink, to educating our children. By researching emerging topics and developing 50-state comparisons, Pew identifies innovative approaches states are using to help solve complex challenges.

In many ways, the loss of natural spaces and species defines this century. Today, only a small fraction of the Earth’s terrain remains as wilderness or old-growth forests. Pew’s land conservation work spans the United States, Canada, Chile, and Australia and seeks to safeguard public land for future generations.

Life on Earth depends heavily on its magnificent and complex ocean ecosystems. But the seas are suffering from overfishing, loss of key habitat—such as coral reefs—and the depletion of important species from sharks to small fish that are the basis for the entire food web.