Its a perennial trade off - security v freedom. People are willing to give up lot's in the way of personal freedom in exchange for security - even if its just the illusion of security. There's little surprise in these findings. File this under a variety of things, including individual liberty, Bill of Rights, foreign policy, and public opinion.
- Click here for the article.
- Click here for the article.
A majority of Americans say it can be necessary for the government to sacrifice freedoms to fight terrorism, according to a new national survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Fifty-four percent of Americans say it can be necessary, 45 percent disagree. And about half of Americans think it is acceptable to allow warrantless government analysis of internet activities and communications--even of American citizens--in order to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, but about 3 in 10 are against this type of government investigation.
"In the aftermath of the attacks in Paris and California, we are seeing the public's concern about being personally affected by terrorism evolve. For instance, 20 percent of Americans are very concerned that they or a family member could be a victim of a terrorist attack, up from 10 percent in 2013," said Trevor Tompson, director of The AP-NORC Center. "The survey also found that respondents are just as concerned about attacks by Islamic extremists as they are about home-grown terrorists."
Here's something from the study that might be helpful for your paper. The candidates from each party have to respond to the opinions of the activists in their party, so this info helps us understand why Democratic and Republican candidates are taking different positions on the issue.
- Two-thirds of Republicans favor the analysis of internet activity and communication by the government without a warrant. Fifty-five percent of Democrats and only 40 percent of independents agree.
- While Republicans and Democrats are equally anxious about the possibility of being personally affected by domestic terrorism, two-thirds of Republicans and half of Democrats are greatly or somewhat concerned about becoming a victim of Islamic extremism in the United States.
- Click here for more commentary on the poll.
