Americans Agree 9/11 Changed U.S. in Major Way, But Divide
On Issue of Civil Liberties vs. Anti-Terrorism Measures
As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks nears, the memories of that day still exert a powerful hold on the public’s consciousness. But while most Americans agree that the attacks had affected them a great deal and changed the country in a major way, they continue to be divided about the anti-terrorism policies adopted during the years that followed the attacks.
Ninety-seven percent of Americans still remember 10 years later exactly where they were when the attacks occurred, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Aug. 17-21. Three-quarters (75 percent) said the events of the day had affected them a great deal and 61 percent said they had changed the country in a major way.
But when it comes to the question of whether the 9/11 attacks, and the continuing threat they represented, made it necessary to give up civil liberties in order to curb terrorism, 54 percent of those surveyed said it was not necessary compared to 40 percent who said it was, with 6 percent undecided. The number of those who come down on the side that preserving civil liberties was more important has grown over the years: in 2006, 50 percent said it was not necessary to give up civil liberties and in 2002, one year after the attacks, that number was 45 percent.
That said, 56 percent in the new poll approved of the way President Bush dealt with the 9/11 situation
immediately after the attacks, although that number is far below the overall 86 percent job approval rating Bush had in Sept. 2001 at a time of remarkable national unity.
There was a sharp partisan divide on the Bush numbers. Eighty-four percent of Republicans approved of his performance in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 while only 39 percent of Democrats do. Fifty-five percent of independents approved of the way Bush handled the situation.
On another question, while 55 percent of Americans back in September 2001 rejected the idea that things the U.S. did wrong in dealing with other countries may have motivated the terrorist attack. The new poll found that the percentage dismissing the idea that U.S. wrongs played a role declined to 45 percent compared to 43 percent who said U.S. wrongdoing may have been a contributing factor.
Credit: Pew Research Center
Again, there were sharp partisan differences on that question. Forty-eight percent of Democrats and 50 percent of independents said that U.S. wrongdoings in dealing with other countries may have been a contributing factor in the motivation of terrorists compared to 27 percent of Republicans. The biggest change in opinion since 2001 was among independents, among whom only 34 percent said 10 years ago that U.S. wrongdoing was a possible factor.
Eighty-eight percent believe the government is doing very or fairly well in reducing the threat of terrorism. But a lesser 43 percent said the main reason the U.S. hasn’t experienced another 9/11-type attack was because the government was doing a good job while 35 percent responded that the country had “been lucky so far.” Sixteen percent said the U.S. is difficult for terrorists to target and 7 percent were undecided.
The poll found little change over the years on the public’s view of whether torture is justified in trying to get information from suspected terrorists. Fifty-three percent said torture to gain important intelligence about terrorist activities is often (19 percent) or sometimes (34 percent) justified. Forty-two percent said it is rarely or never justified, with 4 percent undecided. Those breakdowns have been pretty consistent since 2007.
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