From the moment that Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was pulled out of a boat in Watertown, Mass., the debate over civil liberties and domestic anti-terrorism policies, largely dormant in recent years, was reignited. … But research conducted shortly after 9/11, combined with some recent polling data, suggests that Americans […] Read more »
Post-Boston, Half Anticipate More Terrorism Soon
Less than two weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings killed three onlookers, wounded nearly two hundred, and closed the streets of Boston and its environs during an intense manhunt for the suspects, half of Americans believe a terrorist attack in the U.S. could be imminent. That is up from 38% […] Read more »
Will the Boston bombing change American attitudes about Muslims and immigration reform?
The revelation that the two leading suspects in Boston bombing were Chechen Muslim immigrants to the U.S.—one a U.S. citizen since 2011 and one a lawful permanent legal resident—spurred a round of discussion about the link between the terrorist bombings in Boston and the recently introduced immigration reform bill, sparking […] Read more »
After Boston, most approve of government’s handling of terrorism
Majorities of voters approve of how law enforcement, the White House and the media handled the Boston Marathon bombings. And despite the new attack on U.S. soil, most give positive marks to the government for its handling of terrorism, and rank terrorism far below the economy on Washington’s to do […] Read more »
Most Expect ‘Occasional Acts of Terrorism’ in the Future
Last week’s bombings at the Boston Marathon attracted broad public interest: 63% of Americans say they followed the story very closely, among the highest interest in any news story in the past decade. … While the Boston bombings riveted most Americans, the incident appeared to confirm the public’s long-held belief […] Read more »
Polls Show Growing Resolve to Live With Terror Threat
Public opinion surveys conducted since the bombings last week at the Boston Marathon indicate that most Americans — while convinced future attacks are quite likely — don’t feel personally threatened by terrorism, and an increasing share of the public is skeptical about sacrificing personal freedoms for security. Concern about another […] Read more »