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Continued Support for 'Homeland Security' Measures

March 5 2004

The great majority of Americans continue to support tough - and even tougher - measures to prevent terrorist attacks, according to the latest from Harris Interactive(r). The Bush administration gets high marks for its prevention measure so far, and relatively few people feel that their own privacy has been threatened.

70% give the Bush Administration positive marks on what it has done to prevent a new terrorist attack, whereas 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.

73% think that two US airlines who gave personal data about passengers to federal agencies for government research projects into airline security, did 'the proper thing', although a majority (57%, vs 39% disagreeing) think that the airlines should have obtained travellers' permission first.

Questions asked several times since the September 2001 attacks continue to show very strong support for tough surveillance measures:

  • fve in six continue to support 'stronger document and physical security checks for travellers' (84%) and for government and private office buildings (85%)
  • 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'
  • 61% continue to support 'expanded camera surveillance on streets and in public places'.
Some powers however have only minority support, and this is eroding further:
  • expanded government monitoring of cell phones and email - down to 36% from 44%in February 2003
  • law enforcement monitoring of Internet discussions - down to 50% from 54%
  • adoption of a national I.D. system - down from 64% last year to 56% now, and
  • closer monitoring of banking and credit card transactions, down from 67% to 64%
A majority (76%) continues to feel confident that US law enforcement agencies will use their expanded surveillance powers in a proper way.

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

Commenting on the results, Dr. Alan Westin of Privacy and American Business said: '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'.

1,020 people aged 18+ were interviewed by telephone between February 9 and 16.


All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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