The Harris Poll^® #17, March 5, 2004

Strong and Continuing Support for Tough Measures to Prevent Terrorism

Bush administration gets high marks for preventing terrorist attacks.
Few people are worried about invasions of privacy.
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by Humphrey Taylor

The overwhelming majority of Americans continue to support tough, and even tougher, surveillance measures to prevent terrorist attacks. Furthermore, the Bush administration gets high marks for what it has done to prevent new terrorist attacks in the U.S. Only relatively few people feel that their own privacy has been threatened. And – even though the airlines involved have apologized – most people have no problem with airlines sharing information about travelers with federal agencies. For most people, prevention of terrorism clearly trumps any loss of privacy or other civil rights.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,020 adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive^® between February 9 and 16, 2004.

Some of the key findings are:

• A 70% to 30% majority gives the Bush Administration positive marks on what it has done to prevent a new terrorist attack.
• Only 14% of all adults feel that the government anti-terrorist program has taken quite a lot or a great deal of their own personal privacy away.
• By 73% to 20%, a lop-sided majority thinks that the two U.S. airlines, which provided personal data about the passengers to federal agencies for government research projects into airline security, did "the proper thing." However, when asked specifically, a 57% to 39% majority of the public thinks that the airlines should have obtained travelers’ permission first.

Many of the questions in this survey have been asked on several occasions since the September 2001 attacks. Most continue to show very strong support for tough surveillance measures:

• 84% continue to favor "stronger document and physical security checks for travelers."
• 85% continue to support "stronger document and physical security checks for government and private office buildings."
• 80% continue to support "expanded undercover activity to penetrate groups under suspicion."
• 80% continue to support "the use of facial recognition technology to scan for suspected terrorists."
• 76% continue to support the "issuance of secure I.D. techniques" for persons who access government and business computer systems."
• 61% continue to support "expanded camera surveillance on streets and in public places."

There has, however, been some erosion of support for some law enforcement powers:

• Those who favor "expanded government monitoring of cell phones and email" have fallen to 36%, with 60% opposed. In February last year, a somewhat larger 44% minority favored this.
• Those who favor "law enforcement monitoring of Internet discussions" have fallen slightly from 54% last year to 50% this year.
• Those who favor "adoption of a national I.D. system" have fallen from 64% last year to 56% this year.
• Those who favor "closer monitoring of banking and credit card transactions" have fallen slightly from 67% to 64%.

Notwithstanding this strong support for tough surveillance measures, majorities continue to have at least moderate concern that judges and law enforcement agencies might abuse these powers. But, given all of the other data in this survey, these concerns seem to be more theoretical than a response to anything that has actually happened. Overall, a 76% majority continues to feel confident that U.S. law enforcement agencies will use their expanded surveillance powers in a proper way.

Commenting on these results, Dr. Alan Westin of Privacy and American Business noted: "A majority of the American public continues since 9/11 to hold two equally strong and somewhat conflicting views: yes, we believe law enforcement should have a broad range of new or enhanced investigative powers, but we are worried that these may be abused and that the American system of institutional controls on law enforcement may not be applied as they should. The upcoming reconsideration of the Patriot Act in Congress could be the occasion in which a three-years later rationalization of these views may be worked out. "

Despite rising levels of political and media criticism, the fact that 70% of the public feel the Bush Administration has done either an "excellent" or "pretty good" job of "preventing a [new] terrorist attack" shows that the Homeland Security Department operations continue to enjoy strong public support.

Humphrey Taylor is the chairman of The Harris Poll^®, Harris Interactive.

"How would you rate the job that the Bush Administration has done preventing a terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001?"

Base: All Adults

* Less than 0.5%.

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

"How much do you feel government anti-terrorist programs have taken your own personal privacy away since September 11, 2001?"

Base: All Adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

"Recently, two U.S. Airlines provided personal identifying data about passengers to federal agencies for government research projects into how government airline security programs can identify suspected terrorist.

Do you think that the airlines providing these records was the proper thing to do to assist in research programs to develop traveler-screening programs?"

Base: All Adults

"Do you think that the airlines should have obtained each traveler’s permission before providing this data for research purposes?"

Base: All Adults

*Less than 0.5%.

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

"Here are some increased powers of investigation that law enforcement agencies might use when dealing with people suspected of terrorist activity, which would also affect our civil liberties. For each, please say if you would favor or oppose it."

Base: All Adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

"Now, here are some concerns that people might have about the way these increased powers might be used by law enforcement. Would you say you have high concern, moderate concern, not much concern, or no concern at all about each of the following possibilities?

Base: All Adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

CONFIDENCE THAT SURVEILLANCE POWERS IN PROPER WAY

"Overall, how confident do you feel that U.S. law enforcement will use its expanded surveillance powers in what you would see as a proper way, under the circumstances of terrorist threats? Would you say very confident, somewhat confident, not very confident, not confident at all?"

Base: All Adults

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly due to rounding.

The Harris Poll^® was conducted by telephone within the United States between February 9 and 16, 2004 among a nationwide cross section of 1,020 adults (ages 18+). Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

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