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Survey: Americans still favor security over personal liberties

Monday, September 8, 2003

By Judy Putnam
Lansing Bureau




LANSING -- Two years after Sept. 11, 2001, Americans are just as willing to sacrifice personal liberties for security's sake as they were right after the largest terrorist attack in U.S. history, a Michigan State University study finds.

"These results suggest that Americans are not ready to bury their fears of terrorism,'' concludes the report, released today.

MSU political scientists measured public attitudes in a national telephone survey of 1,448 in late fall of 2001. They conducted a second survey of 1,963, including 679 of the original respondents, from January to May.

Researchers asked respondents if they were willing to concede rights to the government -- allowing searches, surveillance, detentions without arrests and other potential intrusions on individual rights -- in order to gain greater security.

Overall, people gave about the same responses as they did in 2001, said MSU political science professor Brian Silver, negating a theory that as time passed, people would be less willing to give up personal liberties.

"We were surprised. We didn't know exactly what would happen. It's surprising to see so little movement in any direction,'' Silver said.

Daily news coverage over terrorism, security level alerts and the war in Iraq, keep the issues fresh in the public mind, Silver said.

"People have essentially come to a position we're in a new era and that era didn't go away -- yet,'' Silver said. "People have reason to be perpetually alert to the fact that we could have another attack on American soil.''

When asked a general question on civil liberties versus security, a majority, or 55.3 percent, favored civil liberties in 2001, but that shifted by 2003 to 45.3 percent favoring civil liberties.

Despite the marked change toward security, when asked about specific issues, Silver said, on average, people gave about the same responses in the two surveys. A majority of those surveyed supporting civil liberties over security in five of eight questions in both surveys.

Among the statements, those surveyed were asked to select between two positions:


Everyone should be required to carry a national identity card at all times to show a police officer upon request. Being required to carry an identity card would violate people's freedom of association and right to privacy. In 2001, 54 percent agreed with carrying a card, compared with 54.8 percent this year.


Some people say high school teachers have the right to criticize America's policies toward terrorism. Others say that all high school teachers should defend America's policies in order to promote loyalty to our country. In 2001, 62.3 percent said teachers shouldn't criticize America's policies, but that dropped to 51.6 percent in 2003.


Some people say that government should be allowed to record telephone calls and monitor e-mail in order to prevent people from planning terrorist or criminal acts. Others say that people's conversations and e-mail are private and should be protected by the constitution. In 2001, 35.2 percent agreed that the government should be able to monitor telephone and e-mails, increasing to 39.4 percent in 2003.

Some new questions in 2003, found mixed results on the public's attitude toward civil liberties. For example, 60 percent want to keep public access to information about the government's activities in fighting terrorism, but 49 percent favor the FBI's access to public library records.

Wendy Wagenheim, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, said she believes the public may be more willing to wait in line at airports, but will be less willing to give up free speech and privacy as they become aware of effects of laws such as the 2-year-old Patriot Act. She said the debate has picked up in the months since MSU finished its survey.

"People seem to be more aware than ever of their diminishing civil liberties,'' she said. "The debate has become more heated in the last couple of months.''

Wagenheim said she's seeing a shift with conservative groups beginning to side with the ACLU in debates over privacy and free speech. Former congressmen Bob Barr of Georgia and Dick Armey of Texas, both conservatives, are working as consultants for the ACLU on privacy issues.

Silver said another survey will be conducted next year. The survey was funded by $350,000 in grants from the National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation.

%%bodyend%%- Contact Judy Putnam at [phone] or e-mail her at [e-mail]

Fear factor

MSU researchers quizzed U.S. residents about their fears in a national telephone survey in 2001 and in 2003. Their findings:

* 82.6 percent of U.S. residents surveyed this year are still very concerned or somewhat concerned about terrorism threats, versus 84.9 percent just after the Sept. 11 attacks.

* The fear of bioterrorism is on the rise with 59 percent concerned or very concerned in 2003, up from 55.4 percent in 2001.

* Mail fears have dropped. Only 21.6 percent express concern about opening mail in 2003, down from 32.6 percent in 2001.

* Tall buildings still scare about one third of those surveyed. There were 37 percent expressing concern in 2001, dropping to 34.9 this year.

* The fear of flying has 45.7 percent concerned in 2003, down a bit from 49.4 percent in 2001.

* Concern over stadiums and crowds are growing. Fifty-nine percent expressed fear in 2003 versus 55.4 percent following the Sept. 11 attacks.


- Contact Judy Putnam at [phone] or e-mail her at [e-mail]


© 2003 Booth Newspapers. Used with permission


http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-2/10628016049400.xml


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