Watch CBS News

Poll: Most Say 9/11 Still Impacts Their Lives

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- With the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks just days away, many Americans are reflecting on how the nation has changed since 2001.

A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in Chicago, found that 57 percent of Americans say 9/11 has had some impact on their lives today. That's up from 50 percent in 2006.

EXTRA: Read The Full AP-NORC Poll

Immediately following 9/11, 70 percent of Americans believed the country was headed in the right direction. Ten years later, that's down to 20 percent, according to the poll.

In terms of the War on Terror, 52 percent of Americans think the United States can win the fight against terrorism while only 36 percent believe the war on terrorism has been very effective in preventing terrorist attacks.

Of those polled, 32 percent said they are concerned about becoming a victim of terrorism or having a family member harmed in an attack. That's down slightly, though, from 38 percent in 2004.

The poll also found that 86 percent feel as though 9/11 has impacted their individual rights and freedoms.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said it is sometimes necessary to give up some freedoms or rights to protect against terrorism.

LINK: Remembering 9/11/01 Ten Years Later

That being said, 54 percent said if they had to choose between protecting the public from terrorists or preserving their own rights and freedoms, they'd pick civil liberties, especially when it comes to government monitoring of phone calls or emails. Only 30 percent are in favor of the government reading emails in the U.S. without a warrant.

The AP-NORC poll found that about half of those surveyed felt that they have lost some of their own personal freedoms to fight terrorism.

Some other key findings were:

  • 71 percent favor the use of surveillance cameras in public places
  • 35 percent favor racial profiling at airports
  • 40 percent say the War on Terror has unified the country
  • 53 percent feel increased spending on national security is worth the cost
  • 89 percent feel the U.S. economy has been affected by 9/11

The AP-NORC poll was conducted from July 28-Aug. 15 by NORC at the University of Chicago. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,087 adults. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

For more information, visit www.apnorc.org.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.