Polls Show Little Support for Expanding Government Surveillance
Polls conducted by Fox News and the Washington Post following the bombing in Boston last week show little support for changes in the scope of government surveillance. According to Fox News, when asked "Would you be willing to give up some of your personal freedom in order to reduce the threat of terrorism?" for the first time since before 9/11, more said they would not (45%) as compared with those who said they would (43%). A Washington Post poll indicated that the public was more concerned (48%) that the government would go too far to investigate terrorism than that it would not go far enough (41%). A Rassmusen Poll conducted of likely voters found that more than half of the respondents — 54 percent — said economic threats were a greater danger to the country than terrorism. According to 538, that is "almost unchanged from a Rasmussen survey conducted in late January, more than two months before the bombs were detonated in Boston near the marathon finish line." For more information, see EPIC, Public Opinion on Privacy.
April 23, 2013| Share:
