The Aspen Ideas Festival and Time Magazine present a Penn Schoen Berland poll on American attitudes ten years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The results of the poll were first released at the 2011 Aspen Ideas Festival June 30, 2011.
2. Survey methodology On behalf of TIME and the Aspen Ideas Festival, Penn Schoen Berland conducted 2,017 interviews with the adult general population of the United States. 1,008 interviews were conducted by phone 1,009 interviews were conducted online Interviews were conducted from June 1 - 8, 2011 The margin of error is ±2.18% and larger for subgroups. The data presented in this study are reflective of the U.S. Census Bureau demographic statistics in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, income, education, region, and urbanicity. The main objective of the study was to understand American attitudes about the impact on our nation and ourselves of 9/11 – a singular event in our national history – with the perspective that ten years provides. 1
Republicans (63%) are more likely than Democrats (57%) or Independents (51%) to think that the U.S. has recovered from the events of 9/11
African-Americans are the most likely sub-group to say that the pass decade has been one of progress (43% versus 23% of all respondents)
Republicans (84%), seniors (age 65 and older – 78%), and white Americans (77%) are most likely to say that the country is worse off than it was a decade ago
White Americans (52%) are significantly more likely than racial minorities (34% among AA and 34% among Hispanics) to perceive it as one of the worst decades
African-Americans are the only ones more likely to say that the next generation will be better off than people are now (45%)
71% of 18-29 year olds think so versus 85% of those 65 and older.
77% of respondents say a cyber-warfare terrorist attack to disrupt financial markets or power grids is at least somewhat likely in the next 10 years 36% think a cyber warfare attack is very likely, 41% it is somewhat likely, 10% say it is not very likely, 3% say it is not at all likely, and 10% say don’t know.
Only 19% of Americans think that the killing has decreased the threat
Only 27% of those respondents age 65 and older say that bin Laden’s death has given them a sense of closure for 9/11
Young Americans (age 18-29) are the least likely among all sub-groups (54% vs. 77% of those age 45-64) to think that Pakistani government officials knew where bin Laden was hiding
Older Americans (83% of 65+) and Republicans (82%) are especially in favor of cutting back America’s military and non-military aid to Pakistan
Only 46% of Democrats think that the Obama Administration’s timeline is about right
Those respondents with a college degree (88%) are more likely than those without a degree (81%) to say the country needs to focus on domestic issues in the next decade
Those Americans with a college degree (75%) and those whose annual income exceeds $75,000 (76%) are more likely than those without a degree (62%) or those respondents with less than $75,000 (62%) to think that major threats originate within the U.S.
The economy, jobs, government spending, budget deficit, national debt, immigration, healthcare, and education are the primary threats within our control that Americans do not feel are being addressed effectively