Terrorist Attacks: Public Opinion from April 1995-January 2001

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Before today's tragic events, Americans' concern about terrorist attacks had dropped from the higher levels recorded immediately after the Oklahoma City bombings in 1995. Additionally, polls conducted after U.S. attacks on suspected terrorist camps in 1998 showed overwhelming public support for such actions, including the use of ground troops and cruise missiles, if necessary, in future attacks on terrorist bases. Here are the details:

• In January of this year, Gallup asked Americans about the likelihood of terrorist attacks, and found that 47% of Americans said it was at least somewhat likely that the United States would be attacked by another country or terrorist group using nuclear weapons within the next 10 years.
• In April 2000, Gallup polling showed that concern about a terrorist attack "similar to the bombing in Oklahoma City" had abated. Twenty-four percent said they were somewhat worried about such an attack -- 4% very worried, and 20% somewhat worried. After the Oklahoma City bombing, in a poll conducted in April 1995, 42% of the public was either very or somewhat worried.
• In August 1998, 75% approved of the U.S. military attacks against terrorist facilities in the countries of Afghanistan and Sudan. Furthermore, two-thirds said they would approve of the future use of ground troops to attack terrorist groups and their facilities, and three-quarters said they would approve the future use of cruise missiles.

The most extensive polling on terrorism in recent years was conducted just after the Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995. As noted, at that point 42% of Americans said they were worried that they or someone in their family would become a victim of a terrorist attack. Fifty percent said it was very likely that a similar act of violence would occur elsewhere in the United States in the near future, and another 36% said it was somewhat likely. About one out of four parents had tried to limit their children's exposure to news coverage of the bombing. About 45% said that it was possible for the U.S. government to try to prevent such terrorist attacks in the future, but 46% said that there was little the government could do.

January 10-14, 2001

How likely do you think it is that the United States will be attacked by another country or terrorist group after using nuclear weapons within the next ten years? Would you say it is -- very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely?

April 7-9, 2000

How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack similar to the bombing in Oklahoma City – very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?

BASED ON --487 --- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; +/- 5 PCT PTS

August 21-23, 1998

As you may know, the United States recently launched military attacks against terrorist facilities in the countries of Afghanistan and Sudan. Do you approve or disapprove of those attacks?

Would you generally approve or disapprove of FUTURE attacks by the United States using [FORM A: cruise missiles; FORM B: ground troops] to attack terrorist groups or their facilities?

A. Cruise missiles

BASED ON -- 650 -- NATIONAL ADULTS ASKED FORM A; MARGIN OF ERROR EQUALS ± 4 PCT PTS

B. Ground troops

BASED ON -- 667 -- NATIONAL ADULTS ASKED FORM B; MARGIN OF ERROR EQUALS ± 4 PCT PTS

Shortly after it was announced that the U.S. had attacked terrorist facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan on Thursday, President Clinton made a brief speech explaining the reasons why it was necessary to take this action at this time. How much do you trust Bill Clinton to provide an honest explanation for why he took this action -- [READ 1-4]?

August 20, 1998

How worried are you that someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack -- READ 1-4:

*** Asked of half sample

** Question Wording: How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack similar to the bombing in Oklahoma City --

In your view, are those attacks more likely to increase or decrease terrorist actions against Americans, either in the United States or abroad?

If it turns out the U.S. military attack results in civilian casualties -- which of the following statements would come closer to your view -- [ROTATE 1-2]?

August 10-12, 1998

Next, we have two questions about the bombings of U.S. embassies in the African nations of Kenya and Tanzania last Friday.

How much confidence do you have that the people responsible for those bombings will be caught –

If the U.S. determines that the government of a foreign country was in some way involved in those bombings, would you favor or oppose a U.S. military attack against that country?

July 29, 1996

How much confidence do you have in the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to catch the person or people responsible for the bombing at the Atlanta Olympics -- [READ 1-4]:

How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack similar to the bombing at the Atlanta Olympics -- [READ 1-4]:

Do you think there are any actions that the United States government could take to prevent future terrorist attacks in this country, or is it not possible to prevent future attacks?

How likely do you think it is that bombings or similar acts of violence will occur elsewhere in the United States in the near future -- [READ 1-4]:

For each of the following measures -- please tell me whether you would support it as a way to reduce terrorist acts, or whether you think it is going too far. First, ... Next, ... [ROTATE]?

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

In order to reduce your chances of being a victim of terrorist attacks, will you, personally, be less likely to attend large public events in the future, or not?

If you were in Atlanta right now and had tickets to Olympic events, what would you do

Overall, do you think the United States' government is doing enough to prevent terrorism in this country, or not?

April 21-24, 1995

First, do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling the events surrounding the bombing in Oklahoma City?

How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack similar to the bombing in Oklahoma City --

Which of the following statements better describes why you are not worried about a terrorist attack --

ASKED OF THOSE WHO ARE "NOT TOO WORRIED" OR "NOT WORRIED AT ALL"

N = 433; MARGIN OF ERROR = ± 5 PERCENTAGE POINTS

How likely do you think it is that bombings or similar acts of violence will occur elsewhere in the United States in the near future --

How likely do you think it is that bombings or similar acts of violence will occur in your community in the near future --

How much confidence do you have in the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to catch all of the people responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma City --

Based on what you have read or heard so far, do you believe that the bombing in Oklahoma City was committed by a few people, or by a large and organized group of terrorists?

Thinking about the bombing incident in Oklahoma City, which of the following would you find more disturbing --

Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way the news media has covered the bombing incident in Oklahoma City?

In your view, has media coverage of the bombing been fair or unfair to Muslims and Arabs?

Now I'd like you to think about the [child/children] in your household who [is/are] under the age of 13.

Have you tried to limit the amount of coverage of the bombing which your [child/children] [is/are] exposed to -- by avoiding TV news, radio and newspaper coverage -- or have you not tried to do this?

BASED ON PARENTS; N = 217;MARGIN OF ERROR = ± 7 PERCENTAGE POINTS

Have you made a special effort to talk to your [child/children] about the bombing incident in Oklahoma City, or not?

BASED ON PARENTS; N = 203;MARGIN OF ERROR = ± 8 PERCENTAGE POINTS

[Has/Have] your [child/children] indicated that [he or she is/they are] afraid of becoming the victim of a similar act of violence, or not?

BASED ON PARENTS; N = 199;MARGIN OF ERROR = ± 8 PERCENTAGE POINTS

[Has your child/Have any of your children] been upset in any other way by the bombing in Oklahoma City -- or has it not really affected [him or her/them]?

BASED ON PARENTS; N = 196;MARGIN OF ERROR = ± 8 PERCENTAGE POINTS

As you know, Republican leaders in Congress have often publicly criticized the size and power of the federal government. Do you think this encouraged the people responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma City to commit that act or do you think they would have committed that act regardless of what the Republican leaders had said?

Do you think the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens, or don't you think so?

Do you think ordinary citizens should be allowed to arm and organize themselves in order to resist the powers of the federal government?

As you know, some Americans have armed and organized themselves to resist the powers of the federal government. Do you think the federal government should actively investigate and infiltrate those groups even if doing so may infringe on their Constitutional rights?

April 20, 1995

Do you personally feel any sense of danger from terrorist acts where you live and work, or not?

In your view, is the place where you work the kind of place that could be the target of a terrorist attack -- or is it probably not a place that terrorists might target for attack?

BASED ON -- 349 -- EMPLOYED RESPONDENTS; ± 6 PCT. PTS.

How much confidence do you have in the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to catch the person or people responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma City --

If and when the people responsible for the bombing in Oklahoma City are caught, what do you think should

be the penalty -- The death penalty, or life imprisonment, with absolutely no possibility of parole?

Do you think there are any actions that the United States government could take to prevent future terrorist attacks in this country, or is it not possible to prevent future attacks?

For each of the following measures -- please tell me whether you would support it as a way to reduce terrorist acts, or whether you think it is going too far. First, ... Next, ...

How likely do you think it is that bombings or similar acts of violence will occur elsewhere in the United

States in the near future

Finally, do you think you will change any aspect of your personal life or activities in order to reduce your chances of being a victim of terrorist attacks -- or will you not make any changes in your personal life?

*-- Less than 0.5%

(vol.) – Volunteered Response

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with randomly selected national samples of at least 1,000 adults, 18 years and older, conducted between 1995 and 2001. For results based on these samples, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.