Poll: 1 in 5 Says Liberties Are Violated
Vast Majority of Americans Say War on Terror Isn't War on Them

Oct. 1, 2002
By Dalia Sussman

A year after the government's response to terrorism began eliciting questions about civil rights, eight in 10 Americans say theirs have been preserved intact. 


Eighty percent in this ABCNEWS.com poll feel the government's efforts to fight terrorism are not intruding on their civil liberties.

While 17 percent do see an intrusion, fewer — about one in 10 — say either that it's a major intrusion, or an unnecessary one.

Gov't intruding on your rights?
Yes, intruding: 17%
"Major" intrusion: 10%
"Unnecessary" intrusion: 12%
Not intruding: 80%

This continues a string of poll results in which most Americans have not seen the government's anti-terrorism efforts as damaging their rights.

Two-thirds in an ABCNEWS poll last month saw no such threat, and three in four said the government was doing enough to protect the rights of American citizens. Nearly eight in 10 also said it was more important at this time for the FBI to investigate terrorism — even if that intrudes on personal privacy — than for it to avoid such intrusions, if that limits its ability to investigate possible threats.

This poll moved the question to a more personal level, asking: Do you personally feel that the government's anti-terrorism efforts are intruding on your civil liberties, or not?

Who Cares?

Broad majorities across demographic groups feel the government's anti-terrorism efforts are not intruding on their rights.

But there is some variation: Democrats are 13 points more likely to see an intrusion than Republicans are (still only 21 percent do), as are less-educated people.

Gov't intruding on your rights? (by group)	Yes	No
Democrats	21%	77%
Republicans	8%	90%
Independents	19%	78%
Less than high school	27%	67%
High school or more	16%	82%

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/liberties_poll021001.html