November 26, 2009
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Just 1 in 5 Feels Rights Violated
Poll: Vast Majority of Americans Say War on Terror Isn't War on Them

Analysis
By Dalia Sussman

ABCNEWS.com

Oct. 1 — 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.


MORE ON THIS STORY
COMMUNITY
Debate: Civil Liberties vs. Security
 
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%

Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS Intersearch.
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%

Methodology

This ABCNEWS.com poll was conducted by telephone Sept. 25-29 among a random national sample of 1,024 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found at ABCNEWS.com at the Poll Vault.

 
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