Ten Years After 9/11: American Opinions

© P E N N , S C H OE N & B E R LA ND A S S OC I ATE S , LLC .

TEN YEARS AFTER 9/11A TIME / Aspen Ideas Festival Poll, conducted by Penn Schoen Berland

JUNE 30, 2011

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SURVEY METHODOLOGYOn behalf of TIME and the Aspen Ideas Festival, Penn Schoen Berland conducted 2,017 interviews with the adult general population of the United States.

• 1,008 interviews were conducted by phone• 1,009 interviews were conducted online • Interviews were conducted from June 1 - 8, 2011

The margin of error is ±2.18% and larger for subgroups.

The data presented in this study are reflective of the U.S. Census Bureau demographic statistics in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, income, education, region, and urbanicity.

The main objective of the study was to understand American attitudes about the impact on our nation and ourselves of 9/11 – a singular event in our national history – with the perspective that ten years provides.

A DECADE OF DECLINE

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© P E N N , S C H OE N & B E R LA ND A S S OC I ATE S , LLC .4

THE DECADE’S DEFINING MOMENT: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

What was the single most important EVENT in the past decade? OPEN-END

Don’t know

Other

Reelection of George W. Bush

Passage of the Healthcare bill

Housing market crash

The war on terror

War in Iraq

Death of Osama bin Laden

Economic recession

Election of Barack Obama

September 11, 2001

13%

15%

1%

1%

2%

3%

3%

5%

7%

9%

41%

Showing All


22% 41% 18% 12%

A great deal Somewhat Not very much Not at all

MOST SAY THE EVENTS OF 9/11 WEAKENED THE UNITED STATES

Showing All

To what extent did the events of 9/11 weaken the U.S.?


6% 51% 33% 5%

Completely Mostly A little Not at all

JUST 6% BELIEVE THE COUNTRY HAS RECOVERED FROM 9/11 COMPLETELY

To what extent do you think that the United States has recovered from the events of 9/11?

Showing All


23% 68% 9%

Progress Decline Don't Know

68% OF AMERICANS SAY IT HAS BEEN A DECADE OF DECLINE FOR THE U.S.

Showing All

Overall, do you think the past decade has been one of progress or decline for the United States as a country?


71% SAY THE COUNTRY IS IN A WORSE POSITION THAN IT WAS A DECADE AGO

Generally speaking, do you think the U.S. is in a better or worse position than it was a decade ago, or is it about the same?

Showing All

11%

71%

16%

2%

Better

Worse

About the same

Don't know


47% SAY THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST DECADES IN THE PAST CENTURY

In your opinion, how does the past decade compare to the other decades in the past hundred years? Would you say this past decade has been one of the best in the past

century, one of the worst, or has it been about the same?

Showing All

13%

47%32%

8%

One of the best

One of the worst

About the same

Don't know


Series1

17% 20% 25% 22% 22% 32% 23% 25% 31%19%

9% 10%14% 17% 23%

33% 41% 44%48%

55%

70% 64% 55% 16%38% 54% 32% 24% 24% 19%

Declined Improved Stayed the same

THE QUALITY OF LIFE HAS DECLINED FOR MANY GROUPS OF AMERICANS

Please indicate whether you think the overall quality of life has improved, declined, or stayed the same in the past decade for each of the following groups of people living in the United States.

Showing All

Gays and lesbians

Upper class Americans

HispanicsImmigrants

African-Americans

Muslims

Young adultsSeniorsMiddle class AmericansWorking class

Americans


MAJORITY OF AMERICANS THINKS THE NEXT GENERATION WILL BE WORSE OFF

When children in the U.S. grow up, do you think they will be better off or worse off than people are now?

Showing All

29%

52%

11%7%

Better

Worse

About the same

Don't know


ATTITUDES TOWARDS TERRORISM AND FOREIGN POLICY

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35% 43% 13% 4%

Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Not at all likely

4 IN 5 SAY MAJOR TERRORIST ATTACK AT LEAST SOMEWHAT LIKELY IN THE NEXT DECADE

How likely do you think it is that a major terrorist attack will take place in the U.S. in the next decade? Do you think it is…?

Showing All


WASHINGTON D.C. AND NEW YORK CITY PERCEIVED AS THE MOST LIKELY TARGETS

If there is another major terrorist attack in the U.S. in the next decade, in which city is it most likely to take place?

Don’t know

Other

Philadelphia

Boston

Houston

Chicago

Los Angeles

New York

Washington D.C.

17%

5%

1%

1%

2%

4%

14%

27%

30%

Showing All


17% 32% 28% 20%

Very concerned Somewhat concerned Not very concerned Not at all concerned

49% AT LEAST SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT BEING A VICTIM OF TERRORISM IN THE NEXT DECADE

Showing All

How concerned are you that you will become a victim of a terrorism in the next decade?


PLURALITY SAYS THE KILLING OF BIN LADEN HAS INCREASED THE THREAT OF TERRORISM

41%

19%31%

9%

Increased

Decreased

No effect

Don't know

Showing All

In your opinion, has the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces increased the threat of terrorism against the United States, decreased, or has it had no effect

on the threat of terrorism against the U.S.?


37% 56% 9%

Yes No Don't Know

THE KILLING OF BIN LADEN GIVES A SENSE OF CLOSURE TO FEWER THAN 2 IN 5 AMERICANS

Showing All

Does the killing of Osama bin Laden give you a sense of closure for September 11, 2001?


7 IN 10 THINK THAT PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS KNOWINGLY HARBORED BIN LADEN

Do you think Pakistani government officials were knowingly harboring Osama bin Laden, or did they now know his location?

69%15%

16%

Knowingly har-bored Osama bin Laden

Did not know his location

Don't know

Showing All


3 IN 4 WANT TO CUT BACK U.S. FOREIGN AID TO PAKISTAN

In 2011 the United States government has promised roughly $4.5 billion in military and non-military aid to Pakistan. In the future, do you think

the amount of aid to Pakistan should be…?

77%3%

12%

8%

Cut back

Increased

Kept about the same

Don't knowShowing All


40% WANT THE U.S. TO END ITS COMBAT OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN BEFORE 2014

The Obama Administration plans to end the U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014. Do you think the pace of the planned withdrawal of troops

from Afghanistan is too fast, too slow, or about right?

10%

40%

38%

12%

Too fast

Too slow

About right

Don't know

Showing All


68% SAY NO DEAL SHOULD EVER BE MADE WITH THE TALIBAN

Showing All

The United States should encourage the government of

Afghanistan to pursue a deal with

the Taliban to stabilize the

country

No deal should ever be made with

the Taliban

Which is closer to your view?

15%22% 68%

Don’t know


IMPLICATIONS FOR POLITICS AND THE FUTURE

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Don’t know

Other*

Rising powers like China and India

Ordinary American people

Wall Street

Terrorist groups

Corporate CEOs

The U.S. Congress

The Obama administration

The Bush administration

2%

13%

2%

3%

6%

7%

8%

16%

20%

23%

AMERICANS BLAME THEIR LEADERSIF U.S. IS IN A WORSE POSITION (N=1,440) : Which of these, if any, is most to blame for the U.S. being in a worse position than it was a decade ago?

Showing All (N=1,440)

* Other includes: Special interest groups (5%), immigrants (3%), labor unions (2%), and other (3%)


83% 12% 5%

Domestic issues International affairs Don't Know

AMERICANS WANT THEIR LEADERS TO FOCUS ON DOMESTIC ISSUES

Showing All

In your opinion, what is more important for the United States to focus on in the next decade?


66% 27% 7%

Within the U.S. Outside the U.S. Don't Know

THE GREATEST THREATS COME PRIMARILY FROM WITHIN THE U.S.

Do the greatest threats to long-term stability in the United States come primarily from within the United States or do they come from outside the

United States?

Showing All

26

HamasGovernment of North Korea

Government of IranRise of new powers like China and India

Partisan politicsTaliban

Domestic terroristsLack of high-paying jobs

Al QaedaAmerica's dependence on foreign energy

Spread of nuclear weaponsAmerican jobs being sent overseas

America's education system falling behind Weakening U.S. Dollar

Rising healthcare costs The budget deficit

High government spending Rising national debt

27%39%

44%45%

49%53%

56%56%58%

66%67%

71%71%72%73%75%77%78%

INTERNAL THREATS GREATER THAN EXTERNAL THREATS


Please indicate whether each of the following presents a major threat, minor threat, or no threat at all to long-term stability in the United States. Showing % Major threat

Showing All

Internal Threat External Threat


9%71% 20%

Don’t know

71% SAY THE MAJOR THREATS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL AS A COUNTRY

The threats affecting the long-

term stability of the U.S. are mostly

WITHIN our control as a country.

The threats affecting the long-

term stability of the U.S. are mostly OUTSIDE our control as a

country.

Which is closer to your view?

Showing All


10% 32% 36% 17%

Very effectively Somewhat effectively Not very effectively Not at all effectively

ONLY 10% THINK THAT INTERNAL THREATS ARE BEING ADDRESSED VERY EFFECTIVELY

How effectively are we, as a country, addressing the threats that are WITHIN our control?

Showing All


INTERNAL THREATS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED MORE EFFECTIVELY

IF NOT EFFECTIVELY (N=1,040): What specific threats that are WITHIN our control, are not being addressed effectively? OPEN-END

* A word cloud is a visual representation of free-form text, with a larger font size indicating a greater number of respondents referenced the term in their response

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Ten Years After 9/11: American Opinions