Worry About Terrorism Increases

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- In the wake of recent suicide and car bombings in Iraq, Americans are more likely now than they were in July to believe there will be new acts of terrorism in the United States over the next several weeks, and that they or someone in their family could become a victim. Most Americans also believe there are terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden who are currently in the United States and capable of launching a major attack at any time.

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted Aug. 25-26, finds 41% of Americans "very" or "somewhat" worried that they or someone in their family will become the victim of a terrorist attack -- up from 30% who felt that way a month ago.

How Worried About Becoming Terrorism Victim?

The poll also finds more than half of all Americans, 54%, saying it is "very" or "somewhat" likely there will be further acts of terrorism in the United States over the next several weeks -- up from 40% who expressed that view a month ago.

Perceived Likelihood of Terrorism in the United States in the Next Few Weeks

The public's fears began to diminish after the war in Iraq got underway, and they reached a low point (since 9/11) in July.

About three-quarters of Americans, 76%, say they have either a "great deal" or "fair amount" of confidence that the U.S. government will be able to protect its citizens from future terrorist attacks -- down slightly from the 82% who expressed that view last February.

How much confidence do you have in the U.S. government to protect its citizens from future terrorist attacks -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?

 

	Great deal	Fair amount	Not very much	None at all	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26	23	53	19	5	*
2003 Feb 7-9	29	53	14	4	*
2002 Sep 2-4	24	56	16	3	1
2002 Jun 7-8	27	49	17	5	2
2002 May 20-22	22	54	18	5	1
2002 Mar 8-9	24	58	15	2	1
2001 Sep 14-15	41	47	9	2	1
* Less than 0.5%

The figures have fluctuated only slightly since immediately after 9/11, when 88% of Americans had high confidence in the government to prevent terrorist attacks.

Americans' Expectations Somber

The poll shows Americans with some rather somber expectations:

• Eight in 10 Americans believe there are terrorists currently in the United States who are associated with Osama bin Laden and have the resources to launch a major attack at any time.
• Eight in 10 Americans also believe that in the next few years, the United States' anti-terrorism efforts will require the country to send troops to fight wars in other countries.
• More than 7 in 10 Americans expect there will be suicide bombings in the United States in buildings and other public places within the next five years.
• Five in 10 Americans expect a terrorist attack using chemical or biological weapons in the United States in the next five years.
• Two in 10 Americans expect a terrorist attack involving a nuclear weapon against the United States within the next five years.

Despite these concerns, or perhaps because of them, Americans continue to support President George W. Bush on this issue. Sixty-six percent of Americans approve of the way Bush is handling terrorism, more than the number who approve of his job performance overall.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,009 national adults, aged 18+, conducted Aug. 25-26, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±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.

9. How worried are you that you or someone in your family will become a victim of terrorism -- very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?

 

		Very worried	Somewhat worried	Not too worried	Not worried at all	KNOW A VICTIM (vol.)	No opin- ion
		%	%	%	%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26		11	30	33	26	*	--
2003 Jul 18-20 ^		6	24	38	32	*	*
2003 Apr 22-23 ^		8	26	39	26	*	1
2003 Mar 22-23		8	30	38	24	--	*
2003 Feb 17-19		8	28	33	31	*	--
2003 Feb 7-9 ^		13	35	34	18	*	*
2003 Jan 23-25		8	31	36	25	--	*
2002 Sep 2-4		8	30	37	25	*	*
2002 May 28-29		9	31	37	22	1	*
2002 Apr 22-24		8	27	39	25	1	*
2002 Mar 4-7		12	33	32	23	*	*
2002 Feb 4-6 ^		8	27	39	25	--	1
2001 Nov 26-27		8	27	34	30	1	*
2001 Nov 2-4		11	28	34	26	--	1
2001 Oct 19-21 †		13	30	33	23	*	1
2001 Oct 11-14 †		18	33	35	14	*	*
2001 Oct 5-6 †		24	35	27	14	*	*
2001 Sep 21-22 †		14	35	32	18	*	1
2001 Sep 14-15 †		18	33	35	13	*	1
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 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?
‡	Based on one night poll of national adults with a margin of error of ±4 pct. pts.
?	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?
* Less than 0.5%
(vol.) Volunteered response

Q.10-11 SPLIT SAMPLED

10. How likely is it that there will be further acts of terrorism in the United States over the next several weeks -- very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?

BASED ON -- 514 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

 

		Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not too likely	Not at all likely	No opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26 ^		10	44	35	10	1
2003 Jul 18-20 ^		7	33	41	16	3
2003 May 19-21		12	45	32	8	3
2003 Mar 22-23		21	52	20	6	1
2003 Feb 7-9 ^		16	50	23	9	2
2002 Sep 13-16 ^		12	44	31	10	3
2002 Sep 2-4		12	48	28	9	3
2002 Jul 5-8 ^		15	41	30	12	2
2002 May 20-22 ^		21	44	25	7	3
2002 Mar 8-9 ^		9	43	32	13	3
2001 Dec 14-16 ^		17	45	27	8	3
2001 Nov 2-4 ^		24	50	16	6	4
2001 Oct 19-21 ^		40	45	10	3	2
2001 Oct 7 † ‡		41	42	9	4	4
2001 Sep 21-22 ‡		22	44	24	8	2
^	Asked of a half sample.
†	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.
‡	WORDING: How likely is it that there will be further terrorist attacks in the United States over the next several weeks -- very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?

11. How likely is it that there will be further acts of terrorism in YOUR COMMUNITY over the next several weeks -- very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely?

BASED ON -- 495 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

 

	Very likely	Somewhat likely	Not too likely	Not at all likely	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26	4	10	34	51	1
2002 Jul 5-8	4	13	34	48	1
2002 Mar 8-9	2	10	35	52	1
2001 Nov 2-4	3	20	41	32	4

12. How much confidence do you have in the U.S. government to protect its citizens from future terrorist attacks -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?

 

	Great deal	Fair amount	Not very much	None at all	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26	23	53	19	5	*
2003 Feb 7-9	29	53	14	4	*
2002 Sep 2-4	24	56	16	3	1
2002 Jun 7-8	27	49	17	5	2
2002 May 20-22	22	54	18	5	1
2002 Mar 8-9	24	58	15	2	1
2001 Sep 14-15	41	47	9	2	1
* Less than 0.5%

Thinking about the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001,

Q.13-14 SPLIT SAMPLED

13. Generally speaking, do you think that things in the country are -- [ROTATED: completely back to normal, somewhat back to normal, but not completely, or not yet back to normal]?

BASED ON -- 514 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

 

		Completely back to normal	Somewhat back to normal	Not back to normal	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26 ^		3%	56	41	*
2002 Mar 8-9		3%	62	34	1
^	Asked of a half sample.
* Less than 0.5%

14. Would you say that time has healed the wounds of the country that were caused by September 11^th, or not?

BASED ON -- 495 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

 

		Yes	No	No opinion
		%	%	%
2003 Aug 25-26 ^		21	78	1
2002 Sep 2-4		27	71	2
2002 Mar 8-9		24	74	2
^	Asked of a half sample.

15. Just your best guess, do you think there are terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden who are currently in the United States and have the resources to launch a major terrorist attack against the U.S. at any time, or not?

 

	Yes, are terrorists	No, are not	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26	80%	17	3

16. In the next few years, do you think the United States' efforts against terrorism will -- or will not -- require the U.S. to send troops to fight wars in other countries as it did in Iraq and Afghanistan?

 

	Yes, will	No, will not	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26	79%	18	3

17. Do you think each of the following is likely or not likely to happen in the United States in the next 10 years? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

A. A terrorist attack using a chemical or biological weapon

 

	Likely	Not likely	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26	67%	31	2

B. A terrorist attack using a nuclear weapon

 

	Likely	Not likely	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26	35%	63	2

C. Suicide bombing attacks against buildings or other public places

 

	Likely	Not likely	No opinion
2003 Aug 25-26	86%	13	1

18. Do you think this is likely to happen -- within the next six months, within the next year, within the next two to five years, or within the next six to ten years?

COMBINED RESPONSES (Q.17-18)

A. A terrorist attack using a chemical or biological weapon

 

	Likely to happen					Not likely	No opin- ion
	Within the next six months	Within the next year	Within the next two-five years	Within the next six-ten years	Unsure when
2003 Aug 25-26	2%	9	39	14	3	31	2

B. A terrorist attack using a nuclear weapon

 

	Likely to happen					Not likely	No opin- ion
	Within the next six months	Within the next year	Within the next two-five years	Within the next six-ten years	Unsure when
2003 Aug 25-26	1%	3	15	15	1	63	2

C. Suicide bombing attacks against buildings or other public places

 

	Likely to happen					Not likely	No opin- ion
	Within the next six months	Within the next year	Within the next two-five years	Within the next six-ten years	Unsure when
2003 Aug 25-26	10%	19	42	12	3	13	1