Civil Liberties and Security: 20 Years after 9/11

Twenty years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Americans are less supportive of trading civil liberties for security and have lost faith in the country’s ability to protect various rights and liberties. In 2011, 10 years after the terrorist attack, nearly two-thirds were willing to sacrifice rights and freedoms to protect the country from terrorism. But by 2015, just over half were willing to surrender their civil rights and freedoms to combat terrorism; a number that is holding steady in 2021.

A decade after the September 11th attacks, most Americans agreed that the government did a good job protecting most rights, including many defined in the Bill of Rights or protected by laws and court rulings. But over the past 10 years, the public’s faith in the government’s ability to safeguard these rights and liberties has faded. CONTINUED

AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research


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