Poll: U.S. Uneasy With Patriot Act
Ten years after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, just 46 percent of Americans think similar acts can be prevented in the future. Pessimism has increased since the September 11th, 2001 attacks -- before then, a majority felt acts like Oklahoma City could be prevented.
After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. Congress passed the USA Patriot Act to help prevent terrorism but many are not convinced this is the right answer. They think the act goes too far and poses a threat to civil liberties.
The public is now divided on whether events like the Oklahoma City bombing can be prevented from happening again. 46 percent think we've learned from that attack and can prevent similar attacks in the future, but the same number say such events are not preventable. In 2000, on the fifth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, 55 percent of Americans thought such an attack could be prevented from happening again.
CAN ACTS LIKE OKLAHOMA CITY BE PREVENTED?
Can be prevented
Now
46%
4/2000 55%
Can NOT be prevented
Now 46%
4/2000 38%
The USA Patriot Act, passed in October 2001 and set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress renews it, expanded the wiretapping authority of U.S. intelligence agencies and strengthened penalties for those aiding terrorists.
Today, 41 percent of Americans have heard or read about the USA Patriot Act (13 percent have heard a lot about it), but 57 percent have heard little or nothing about it.
Among those who have heard or read about the USA Patriot Act, 49 percent say it is a necessary tool that helps the government find terrorists, but nearly as many -- 45 percent -- say the act goes too far and is a threat to civil liberties. The public is more closely divided on this issue than they were last year.
THE USA PATRIOT ACT IS A …
(Among those who've heard a lot or some about the USA Patriot Act)
Necessary tool
Now49%
4/2004 52%
Threat to civil liberties
Now 45%
4/200442%
There are partisan differences on this question. Republicans say the Patriot Act is a necessary tool for fighting terror, while Democrats and Independents think it threatens civil liberties.
The Patriot Act includes a mechanism to make monitoring telephone calls and internet traffic of suspected terrorists easier.
The public remains reluctant to allow government monitoring of ordinary Americans in order to prevent terrorism. 29 percent are willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and emails of ordinary people, but two-thirds are not willing. Majorities have consistently opposed the monitoring of ordinary Americans by the government. Even shortly after the 9/11 attacks, 51 percent were NOT willing to allow the government to monitor the communications of ordinary individuals.
ALLOW GOVERNMENT MONITORING OF ORDINARY AMERICANS
Yes
Now 29%
5/2003 27%
9/2001 45%
No
Now 66%
5/2003 69%
9/2001 51%
Americans, however, are willing to permit monitoring if the government suspects the individual may be a threat. 56 percent would be willing to allow the government to monitor communications of those of whom it is suspicious; 39 percent would not allow this. The number who supports monitoring people that the government deems suspicious is down from May 2003, when, 63 percent were willing to allow it.
ALLOW GOVERNMENT MONITORING OF SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUALS
Yes
Now 56%
5/2003 63%
No
Now 39%
5/2003 31%
This poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 1,149 adults interviewed by telephone April 13-16, 2005. The error due to sampling could be plus or minus three percentage points for results based on all adults. Error for subgroups may be higher.
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