CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll #1, September 2002 (ICPSR 3704)

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This poll is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency, foreign policy, the economy, and the campaign against terrorism. Views were elicited on the trustworthiness of the government and why respondents felt that way, whether the Bush administration had a clear plan for handling terrorism, whether the United States should attack another country (including Iraq) before it was attacked, whether the United States should attack another country (including Iraq) if the United States believed that it posed a nuclear threat, level of confidence in the United States government to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, the likelihood of another terrorist attack in the next few months, and personal concern about local acts of terrorism. Respondents were also asked about their level of confidence in the ability of the United States to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, whether the United States could claim victory over terrorism if bin Laden was not captured or killed, and whether they believed bin Laden was still alive. Additional questions sought respondents' views on how well the war on terrorism was going, and how much progress the Bush administration had made in closing terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, in eliminating threats from terrorists from other countries, placing a stable government in Afghanistan, improving the image of the United States in the Arab world, developing a comprehensive plan for protecting the United States from terrorism, and improving air travel safety. Respondents were asked how concerned they were with losing civil liberties and if they agreed or disagreed that Americans would always have to live with terrorism. Regarding the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, respondents were asked how much they blamed the CIA, the FBI, United States policies in the Middle East, and security at United States airports. Respondents were asked how safe Americans felt from terrorist attacks, how safe they felt personally, how often they thought about and talked about September 11, whether the United States has done all it could to make the country safe, and whether the United States was prepared for biological and chemical attacks. With regard to Iraq, respondents were asked whether the Bush administration had clearly explained the possible attack on Iraq, whether they approved or disapproved of the United States taking military action, whether the United States should attack soon or give the United Nations more time, whether President Bush should receive Congressional approval before taking military action, whether they thought military action would take place, whether the removal of Saddam Hussein from power was worth the potential loss of American lives, whether military action should take place if it meant substantial military casualties or Iraqi civilian casualties, and whether respondents would favor military action if the war lasted for several months or years. Respondents were queried as to whether they believed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, and that Iraq was planning to use these weapons against the United States. In regard to the September 11 terrorist attacks, respondents were asked how afraid they were of flying, whether they had flown on a commercial airline since the attacks, how likely it was that Arab Americans, Muslims, and Middle Eastern immigrants would be singled out unfairly, whether Arab Americans were more sympathetic to terrorists than other Americans, whether respondents had a good or bad image of New York City, whether they had ever visited the World Trade Center, whether they attended religious services after the attacks and whetherthey continued to do so, how likely they were to watch the news since the attacks, how much time they spent with family, and how their lives and the country had changed as a result of the terrorist attacks. In addition, respondents were asked whether they had trouble sleeping, whether they felt nervous or edgy after the attacks, whether their children expressed concern over their safety and their family's safety, how often the respondents talked to their children about September 11, whether they knew someone who was hurt in the September 11 attacks, whether they knew an Arab American, and whether an immediate family member was currently serving in United States armed forces. Finally, respondents were asked about their political party preference, whether they had financial investments, whether they had voted in the 2000 presidential election and for whom, their political views, marital status, religious preference, education, age, Hispanic descent, ethnicity, income, and whether there were additional phone lines in the home.

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This data collection may not be used for any purpose other than statistical reporting and analysis. Use of these data to learn the identity of any person or establishment is prohibited.

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