In this report, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research presents new, in-depth data on American public opinion on the balance between civil liberties and security. The Center’s inaugural study, released on the 10-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks, provided seminal research on this balance. In light of recent events, including the public disclosure of several mass surveillance programs conducted by the U.S. government, the Center updated its civil liberties and security study to assess changes in public opinion and to collect new data on America’s policy
preferences about where to draw the line between civil liberties and security.
The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted 1,008 interviews with a representative sample of Americans. The key findings provide an important source of data for policymakers, journalists, and the public to understand where the public stands on this issue. For full findings, read the report, and be sure to see the 2011 study here.
