An overwhelming 89 percent of respondents approved of the way President Bush has handled the crisis. His general approval rating stands at 82 percent-higher than the rating his father received during the gulf war in 1990, and virtually the same as the 84 percent approval rating President Franklin D. Roosevelt received after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.
While Americans commend Bush for a job well done, they believe New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has handled the situation even better. Eighty-nine percent said Giuliani has come across as a strong leader versus 83 percent who say Bush has done so.
The NEWSWEEK poll suggests that support for Bush’s planned missile-defense shield is in decline. Seventy-one percent say government spending priorities should focus on airport and building security and intelligence operations and technology instead of an antimissile shield.
The poll also revealed that many people continue to worry about attacks. The vast majority, 82 percent, believe that it is very likely (43 percent) or somewhat likely (39 percent) that more terrorist attacks will be carried out against major U.S. cities, buildings or national landmarks in the near future.
Such concerns spell bad news for the airline industry. Fifty-three percent say they are less likely to take an overseas airline trip, and 46 percent say they are less likely to take a domestic flight. In addition, 63 percent of respondents say they are very worried or somewhat worried about the world economy.
Despite the fears, a majority of Americans don’t want specific ethnic groups targeted or freedoms and civil liberties sacrificed in the name of safety. Sixty-two percent of people polled said it would be a mistake for the United States to put Arabs and Arab-Americans under surveillance. Only 15 percent favor making it easier for intelligence and law-enforcement agents to monitor people’s private phone conversations and e-mails. And just 23 percent favor random ID checks on streets and highways.
Despite the tragedy, Americans say their lives are going back to normal. Eighty-one percent said they are not making changes in their daily routines in the wake of the attack.
