NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll on Civil Liberties

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• This interactive poll is not a scientific survey. Rather, it is a supplement to a scientific survey conducted in October and November by NPR News, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. The interactive poll lets you answer the same questions that were answered by the more than 1,000 randomly selected people across the country who participated in the scientific survey. Your poll responses will not be part of the scientific survey, but will allow you to see how your opinions compare to those of the survey participants.

• In the scientific survey, half the respondents were asked Question 6a and the follow-up, and half were asked Question 6b and the follow-up. Likewise, half the respondents were asked Question 9, and the other half were asked Question 10. And half were asked Question 25a and the follow-ups, and half were asked Question 25b and the follow-ups. If you want this to be a realistic experience, answer either Questions 6a (and follow-up), 9, and 25a (and follow-ups) or Questions 6b (and follow-ups), 10, and 25b (and follow-ups).


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I. Introduction

1. What do you think are the two most important issues for the government to address? (This was an open-ended question. Please remember your answer when you view the results.)

2. How much of the time do you trust the federal government in Washington to do what is right -- just about always, most of the time, only some of the time, or none of the time?



3. How concerned are you about the invasion of your personal privacy in the United States today? Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, only a little concerned, or not concerned at all?



4. Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following statement. It's dangerous to restrict freedom of speech because restricting the freedom of one person could lead to restrictions on everybody--do you strongly agree, mildly agree, mildly disagree, or strongly disagree?



5. Do you think the federal government threatens your own personal rights and freedoms, or not?



5a. Is this a MAJOR threat or a MINOR threat?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 5



6a. Should the number of people who are allowed to immigrate to the United States from the Middle East be increased, decreased, or kept at its present level?



6a1. Should the number of people from the Middle East who are allowed to visit or study in the United States be increased, decreased, or kept at its present level?



6b. Should the number of people who are allowed to immigrate to the United States from other countries be increased, decreased, or kept at its present level?



6b1. Should the number of people from other countries who are allowed to visit or study in the United States be increased, decreased, or kept at its present level?



7. To the best of your knowledge, has the Congress recently passed a new anti-terrorist bill, or not?



13. Now thinking generally about the last 10 years or so, how often do you think American law enforcement agencies have abused their powers? Do you think this has happened very often, somewhat often, not very often, or never?



9. It has been reported that some police officers stop motorists of certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe that these groups are more likely than others to commit certain types of crime. This practice is known as racial profiling. Do you approve or disapprove of the use of racial profiling by police?



10. Since September 11th, some law enforcement agencies have stopped and searched people who are Arab or of Middle Eastern descent to see if they may be involved in potential terrorist activities. Do you approve or disapprove of this kind of profiling?



II. Trust and Confidence in Government

11. In general, do you think the federal government is or is not telling you everything you need to know about the recent terrorist attacks and threat to America today?



12. How much confidence do you have in the U.S. government to protect its citizens from future terrorist attacks--a great deal, quite a lot, some or very little?



14. Which party do you trust to do a better job (INSERT ITEM), the Republican Party or the Democratic Party?


a. Fighting terrorism:



b. Protecting the rights and liberties of all Americans:



c. Balancing the need for security at home with the need to protect the rights and liberties of all Americans:



III. Privacy, Civil Liberties and Press Freedom

16. Except for the right to vote or hold office, do you believe that non-citizens living legally in or visiting the United States should or should not have the same legal rights as citizens?



16a. Do you feel very strongly or not very strongly about that?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID "SAME LEGAL RIGHTS" OR "NOT SAME LEGAL RIGHTS" IN QUESTION 16



17. In order to curb terrorism in this country, do you think it will be necessary for the average person to give up some rights and liberties, or do you think we can curb terrorism without the average person giving up rights and liberties?



18. Do you think you will have to give up some of your OWN rights and liberties in order to curb terrorism, or not?



20. In the search for those in the U.S. who may have been involved in the terrorist attacks, a number of people have been detained by the FBI and other police agencies. Do you think the basic rights of these individuals have been protected or not?



21. And to the best of your knowledge, about how many people have been taken into custody and are still being held as part of the investigation of the September 11th attacks -- less than 100, about 500, about 1000, or 2000 or more?



22. How important do you think it is to understand why the terrorists carried out their attacks? Is this very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?



23. Should someone who says that terrorism is the fault of how our country behaves in the world be allowed to:


a. Make a speech at a college:



b. Teach in the public schools:



c. Work in the government:


24. Should someone who expresses support for the terrorists be allowed to:


a. Make a speech at a college:



b. Teach in the public schools:



c. Work in the government:


IV. Anti-Terrorist Measures and Recent Legislation

25a. In order to reduce the threat of terrorism in the US, would you support or oppose giving law enforcement broader authority to do the following things? Would you support or oppose giving them broader authority to (INSERT EACH ITEM)?


a. Wiretap telephones:



b. Intercept e-mail:



c. Intercept ordinary mail:



d. Examine internet activity:



e. Detain suspects for a week without charging them:



e1. Detain terrorist suspects indefinitely without charging them:



f. Examine students' education records:



g. Examine telephone records:



h. Examine bank records:



i. Track credit card purchases:



j. Examine tax records:


25a2. Do you think law enforcement should be required to obtain a court order before conducting these activities, or not?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SUPPORTED ANY ITEM IN QUESTION 25a



25a1. Are you concerned that if law enforcement is granted wider authority in any of these areas, it will be used against innocent people?



25a1a. Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, or only a little concerned?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 25a1



25a5. If law enforcement is granted wider authority to act on its own in any of these activities, do you think it will ever use this authority on you or someone you know and respect, or not?



25a3. Do you think it should be easier for law enforcement to take these actions against people who are not US citizens than it is to take them against US citizens, or should citizens and non-citizens be treated the same by law enforcement?



25b. In order to reduce the threat of terrorism in the US, would you support or oppose giving law enforcement broader authority to do the following things when it comes to Arabs and others of Middle Eastern descent. Would you support or oppose giving them broader authority to (INSERT EACH ITEM)?


a. Wiretap their telephones:



b. Intercept their e-mail:



c. Intercept their ordinary mail:



d. Examine their internet activity:



e. Detain suspects of Arab or Middle Eastern descent for a week without charging them:



e1. Detain terrorist suspects of Arab or Middle Eastern descent indefinitely without charging them:



f. Examine students' education records:



g. Examine telephone records:



h. Examine bank records:



i. Track credit card purchases:



j. Examine tax records:


25b1. Do you think law enforcement should be required to obtain a court order before conducting these activities, or not?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SUPPORTED ANY ITEM IN QUESTION 25b



25b3. Are you concerned that if law enforcement is granted wider authority in any of these areas, it will be used against innocent people?



25b4. Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, or only a little concerned?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 25b3



25b2. Do you think this broader authority should apply only to Arabs or others of Middle Eastern descent who are NOT U.S. citizens, or should it also apply to those Middle Easterners who ARE U.S. citizens?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SUPPORTED ANY TIME IN QUESTION 25b



Congress has just passed a comprehensive anti-terrorism bill that expands law enforcement's powers to, among other things, wiretap telephones, track e-mail, and detain certain people.

26. One part of the anti-terrorism legislation would make it easier for law enforcement to get what's called "sneak and peek" search warrants. Usually, police must notify people at the time of a search, or at least leave a note saying they had conducted the search. Under the new law, however, police could enter someone's house or office and conduct a search without leaving any kind of notice. Do you favor or oppose this part of the law?



27a. Would you still favor it if it applied to everyone and not just suspected terrorists, or would you now oppose it?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU FAVOR "SNEAK AND PEEK" SEARCH WARRANTS -- OTHERWISE, ANSWER QUESTION 27b



27b. Would you still oppose it if it applied only to suspected terrorists, or would you now favor it?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU OPPOSE "SNEAK AND PEEK" SEARCH WARRANTS



28. When the government investigators collect intelligence information about people -- from things like wiretaps and Grand Jury testimony -- they generally cannot share that information with law enforcement agencies unless they have a court's approval. Under the anti-terrorism bill, this sharing of information will be allowed without a court order. Do you favor or oppose this part of the law?



29a. Would you still favor it if it applied to everyone and not just suspected terrorists, or would you now oppose it?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU FAVOR SHARING INFORMATION WITHOUT A COURT ORDER -- OTHERWISE ANSWER QUESTION 29b



29b. Would you still oppose it if it applied only to suspected terrorists, or would you now favor it?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU OPPOSE SHARING OF INFORMATION WITHOUT A COURT ORDER



32. From what you know about the new anti-terrorism legislation, do you think that it will increase your security against terrorists, decrease your security against terrorists, or have no impact on this either way?



33. How much confidence do you have in the US government to fairly administer the new anti-terrorist legislation--a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?



34. From what you know about the new anti-terrorist legislation, do you think it threatens your own personal rights and freedoms or not?



34a. Is this a MAJOR threat or a MINOR threat?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 34



35. Thinking about the future, do you think law enforcement agencies will ever use their new powers to investigate (INSERT ITEM)?


a. anti-government militias:



b. extra-marital affairs of people in public life:



c. anti-abortion groups:



d. anti-war groups:



e. groups that advocate violent actions against the US:



f. organized crime:



g. anti-globalization protest groups:



36. And, do you think law enforcement will ever use the new powers, which it has been given to fight terrorism, in order to find and prosecute (INSERT 1st ITEM)? How about (INSERT NEXT ITEM), do you think law enforcement will ever use the new powers which it has been given to fight terrorism in order to find and prosecute (INSERT ITEM)?


a. drug users:



b. major tax violators:



c. non-citizens who are in the country illegally:



d. illegal gun dealers:



36a. You said you expected law enforcement to use its new powers to investigate or prosecute some types of people not connected with the current terrorist attacks. Generally, do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO ANY ITEM IN QUESTION 35 OR QUESTION 36



V. Other Non-Legislative Measures to Combat Terrorism

37. Have you seen or heard about discrimination against Arabs or Muslims IN YOUR AREA since September 11th?



38. Since September 11 have you experienced increased security at any airport, public building, park, theater, or other public place?



39. How much inconvenience have you experienced because of this added security--a great deal, some, not much, or none at all?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 38



40. How much inconvenience do you expect in the future -- a great deal, some, not much, or none at all?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 38 -- OTHERWISE ANSWER QUESTION 40a



40a. Since September 11th, security has increased in many public places. In the future, how much inconvenience do you think this will cause you-- a great deal, some, not much, or none at all?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID NO TO QUESTION 38



41. Are you a frequent air traveler, do you fly only occasionally, or have you never flown?



42. Would you be willing or not willing to pay an extra $50 for each airplane ticket that you buy in order to help pay for increased security at US airports?



43. Do you think that the federal government should take over airport security, or should it stay in the hands of private industry?



VI. Government and the Press/Press Censorship

44. Now that the president has declared war on international terrorism, should the government be able to review and censor news stories that (INSERT), or shouldn't the government be able to review and censor these news stories?


a. Discuss troop deployments or military plans:



b. Criticize how the President is conducting military actions:



c. Report on anti-war protests:



g. Report the names of people arrested for terrorist actions:



45. Should the government stop the U.S. media from broadcasting interviews or statements by Osama Bin Laden or his lieutenants, or shouldn't the government be able to stop these broadcasts?



VII. National Identification Card and Protection of the American Flag

46. Would you favor or oppose requiring everyone in the United States to carry an identification card issued by the federal government?



47. If issued, would you be willing to have the following pieces of information on it, or not? Would you be willing to have (INSERT ITEM) on it?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU FAVOR REQUIRING I.D. CARDS


a. Your photograph:



d. Whether or not you are a US citizen:



e. Your fingerprints:



f. Your DNA details:



g. Your criminal record, if any:



h. Your religion:



i. Your Social Security Number:



l. The country where you were born:



VIII. Has Life Changed Post-9/11? Post-9/11 Fears and Worries

50. Generally speaking, would you say that the terrorist attacks have changed the way that you live your life day-in and day-out?



51. How has it changed?
ANSWER ONLY IN YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 50



51a. Do you think these changes are permanent, or not?
ANSWER ONLY IF YOU SAID YES TO QUESTION 50



52. How much have the terrorist attacks shaken your own personal sense of safety and security? Have they shaken it a great deal, a good amount, not too much, or not at all?



53. These days how much do you worry about terrorism when you're in public places here in the United States--a great deal, somewhat, not too much, or not at all?



54. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, have you at least once (INSERT) because of concern with your personal safety?


a. Avoided taking a bus or subway:



b. Chosen to travel by car, train, or bus instead of by airplane:



c. Changed your vacation travel plans:



d. Changed your business travel plans:



55. Please tell me how likely or unlikely you think it is that the following will occur in the next 12 months. (ITEM)--is it very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely to occur in the next 12 months?


b. More anthrax attacks:



b1. A terrorist attack using another biological weapon like smallpox:



c. A terrorist attack using a bomb carried in a car or truck:



e. A terrorist attack using nuclear weapons:



f. An attack on the water supply:



g. An attack on the food supply:



IX. Views of Muslims, Arabs, and Arab-Americans

56. Do you agree or disagree that most Arab-Americans and immigrants from the Middle East are loyal to the United States?



57a1. How do you think most Arab-Americans and immigrants from the Middle East feel about the terrorists' cause? Do you think they are more sympathetic to the terrorists' cause than other Americans, or about the same as other Americans on this?



57a2. How do you think most Arab-Americans and immigrants from the Middle East feel about the terrorists' acts? Do you think they are more sympathetic to the terrorists' ACTS than other Americans, or about the same as other Americans on this?



57b1. How do you think most Muslim Americans feel about the terrorists' cause? Do you think they are more sympathetic to the terrorists' cause than other Americans, or about the same as other Americans on this?



57b2. How do you think most Muslim Americans feel about the terrorists' acts? Do you think they are more sympathetic to the terrorists' ACTS than other Americans, or about the same as other Americans on this?



XI. Last Questions

64. How long do you think the war on terrorism is going to last? A few months? Less than a year? One to two years? Or more than two years?



65. Do you think that the US war against terrorism will in the long run make the world a safer place for today's children, a less safe place for today's children, or will it make no difference?



66. Do you think that the people who sent the recent letters containing anthrax spores were foreign terrorists similar to Osama Bin Laden, or domestic terrorists similar to Timothy McVeigh?






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