PALO ALTO, California — Americans are divided about the Administration’s response to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up Northwest flight 253, and believe it should have been prevented. While they support some new security
rules for air travel, there is little expectation that the post-Christmas changes will make a difference in air travel safety.
Looking ahead, there is concern among those interviewed in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll about the possibility of another terrorist attack, and a majority lacks confidence in the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to protect the country from it. 52% have little or no confidence in the department, including the country’s intelligence agencies. Only 6% have a lot of confidence. |
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The concern about the ability of the intelligence agencies may be due to the belief that they could have prevented the alleged Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up Northwest flight 253. 70% of those aware of the incident think there was enough information to have prevented it. Just 8% disagree.
The President fares somewhat better. 38% of those interviewed in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll said they approved of the way Barack Obama has handled the aftermath of the alleged Christmas Day attempt. But nearly as many, 34%, disapprove. |
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The overall assessment of the President’s handling of terrorism is negative. 42% approved, and 48% disapprove. Those evaluations have gotten worse in the last few months.
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President Obama's Performance on Terrorism
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling terrorism?"
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As Americans look back on the first year of the Obama Presidency, more think his policies have made the U.S. less safe from terrorism than think they have made the country safer. Only 20% say the Administration’s policies have made the country safer, while 35% believe they have made the country less safe.
And by over two to one, they don’t think the new policies for airplane safety will make any difference to air travelers. Just 21% say the new restrictions will make flying safer. 51% say they will make no difference. |
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That doesn’t mean Americans oppose them. 83% favor additional screening for travelers coming from any of the 14 countries identified as places terrorists may come from. 52% support the use of full body scanners for all travelers, and another 27% would use them on those that screeners think pose security threats. Frequent fliers overwhelmingly support both of these measures.
But the overall public is more divided about two restrictions for travel into the United States – having passengers remain in their seats for the last hour of an international flight and not allowing them to use personal items on their laps for the last hour. Frequent fliers - who would be most affected – are opposed.
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Some airports are now using full-body scanner machines that produce a detailed picture of travelers and items that are hidden on their bodies. It might have detected the explosives that were meant to be ignited on the Christmas Day Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. But it also produces naked images of travelers and many privacy advocates have objected to them. The scanners would not detect items within a person’s body.
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What is your opinion of the use of
full-body
scanners at airports? |
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Methodology
These results are from a weekly YouGov public opinion poll conducted for The Economist. The poll surveyed 1,000 respondents and was fielded from January 10-12, 2010. Results from interviews conducted online by members of YouGov’s PollingPoint panel are representative of the U.S. adult population. The margin of error for this poll is +/- 3.5%.
