GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- According to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Tuesday night, yesterday's terrorist attacks -- in which hijacked airplanes deliberately crashed into the twin towers of New York City's Trade Center and into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia -- are seen by most Americans as an act of war, and as the most tragic news event in their lifetimes. They are also much more worried now than they have been over the past six years that someone in their own family will become a victim of a terrorist attack, and a majority believe that the most recent attacks represent the beginning of a sustained terrorist campaign against the United States that will continue for weeks.
Despite these views, Americans express a high level of confidence that the perpetrators will be identified and punished, and they express confidence in President Bush's ability to handle the situation. They also resist any calls for immediate military strikes against known terrorist organizations. Instead, they prefer that the United States take the time to clearly identify those who are responsible, even if it takes months to do so, before conducting retaliatory strikes.
The public's immediate reaction about the possible long-term effects of the terrorist attacks is mixed. About half think that Americans will permanently change the way they live as a consequence of the attacks, while the other half disagrees. Just over a third think they will make changes in their lives to reduce their chances of being a victim of a terrorist attack, but six in 10 say they will not make any changes. Still, about half say that the events on Tuesday make them less willing to fly on airplanes.
Americans Show Widespread Consensus About Terrorist Attacks
The poll -- completed Tuesday night before President Bush's speech to the nation -- shows a remarkable level of consensus among Americans about what the terrorist attacks mean and what the United States should do. Overall, 86% of Americans view the terrorist attacks as an act of war, while just 10% disagree. Similarly, 87% of all Americans -- including 80% of those over the age of 50 -- see the attacks as the most tragic news event in their lifetimes.
When asked what the United States should do about the attacks, 71% of Americans say the government should conduct military strikes only against the terrorist organizations responsible for the attacks, even if it takes months to clearly identify who they are. Just 21% want quicker action -- to conduct military strikes against known terrorist organizations, even if it is unclear who caused the attacks on the United States. Just 4% of Americans oppose any military retaliation at all.
Six in 10 Americans Worried About Becoming a Victim of Terrorism
Americans are much more worried today about becoming a victim of terrorism than they were after the Oklahoma City bombing six years ago. The current poll shows 60% of Americans saying they are either "very" or "somewhat" worried that they or someone in their family will become a victim, compared with 42% who expressed that view in April 1995, shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing. Last year, at the fifth anniversary of that bombing, only 24% said they were worried.
One reason for the increased worry may be that a majority of Americans, 55%, see Tuesday's attacks as the beginning of a sustained terrorist campaign "that will continue for several weeks." The rest of Americans either disagree with that view (29%), or say they are unsure (16%).
This worry apparently influences how Americans might behave in the future. Half of the public (49%) predicts that, as a consequence of the terrorist attacks, Americans will permanently change the way they live, while 45% disagree. On a personal level, 36% of Americans admit that they will change some aspect of their personal lives or activities to avoid being a victim of terrorism, but 61% say they will not make any changes. Nevertheless, when asked about their fear of flying, 48% of Americans admitted that the terrorist attacks make them less willing to fly on airplanes.
Public Confident in Government Response
Almost nine in 10 Americans, 88%, say the government is either very likely (52%) or somewhat likely (36%) to identify and punish the people responsible for the attacks. A large majority of Americans are also confident in President Bush's ability to handle the situation -- 45% are very confident, and another 33% are somewhat confident.
SurveyMethods
Results are based on telephone interviews with 619 national adults, aged 18+, conducted September 11, 2001. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±4 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. Polls conducted entirely in one day, such as this one, are subject to additional error or bias not found in polls conducted over several days.
How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack -- very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?
|
|
|
|
Not |
KNOW A VICTIM (vol.) |
|
||
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
|
2001 Sep 11 |
23 |
35 |
24 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2000 Apr 7-9 ^ |
4 |
20 |
41 |
34 |
-- |
1 |
|
|
1998 Aug 20 † |
10 |
22 |
38 |
29 |
-- |
1 |
|
|
1996 Jul 20-21 ^ |
13 |
26 |
34 |
27 |
-- |
* |
|
|
1996 Apr 9-10 ‡ |
13 |
22 |
33 |
32 |
-- |
* |
|
|
1995 Apr 21-23 ‡ |
14 |
28 |
33 |
24 |
-- |
1 |
|
|
^ |
Asked of a half sample. |
||||||
|
† |
WORDING: How worried are you that someone in your family will become a victim of a terrorist attack similar to the bombing in Oklahoma City? |
||||||
|
‡ |
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? |
||||||
Do you think today's attacks do -- or do not -- represent the beginning of a sustained terrorist campaign against the United States that will continue for the next several weeks?
|
Do represent |
Do not represent |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
55% |
29 |
16 |
Would you describe today's attacks as an act of war against the United States, or not?
|
Yes, would describe |
No, would not |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
86% |
10 |
4 |
How confident are you in President Bush's ability to handle this situation -- are you -- very confident, somewhat confident, not very confident, or not confident at all?
|
|
|
|
Not |
|
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
45% |
33 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
As a result of today's attacks, do you think Americans will permanently change the way they live, or not?
|
Yes, will change |
No, will not |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
49% |
45 |
6 |
Which comes closest to your view -- [ROTATED: the U.S. military should conduct military strikes immediately against known terrorist organizations, even if it is unclear who caused today's attacks, the U.S. military should only conduct military strikes against the terrorist organizations responsible for today's attacks, even if it takes months to clearly identify them, or the U.S. military should not conduct military strikes in response to today's attacks]?
|
|
Should wait |
|
|
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
21% |
71 |
4 |
4 |
How likely is it that the U.S. government will be able to identify and punish the people responsible for these attacks -- very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?
|
Very |
Somewhat likely |
Not very |
Not at all likely |
No |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
52% |
36 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
Do you think this is -- or is not -- the most tragic news event in your lifetime?
|
Yes, is |
No, is not |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
87% |
12 |
1 |
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?
|
Yes, will make changes |
No, will not |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
36% |
61 |
3 |
|
1995 Apr 20 |
16% |
83 |
1 |
Do today's events make you less willing to fly on airplanes, or not?
|
Yes, less willing |
No, not |
No opinion |
|
|
2001 Sep 11 |
48% |
50 |
2 |
* -- Less than 0.5%
(vol.) – Volunteered response
