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Curated

ABC News Timothy McVeigh Verdict Poll, June 1997 (ICPSR 2491)

Released/updated on: 2007-09-17
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted on June 2, 1997--the day that a jury convicted Timothy McVeigh of planning and planting the bomb that killed 168 people in Oklahoma City in 1995--sought respondents' views on the verdict and on terrorist attacks in the United States. Respondents were asked whether they agreed with the verdict, whether McVeigh should receive the death penalty, and whether they believed that the government had caught everyone responsible. A series of questions addressed concern over terrorist attacks in the United States, including whether the respondent believed that he/she or anyone they knew was a potential victim of terrorism. Background information on respondents includes sex.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, June 2006 (ICPSR 4661)

Released/updated on: 2007-11-30
Geographic coverage: United States
This poll, conducted June 22-25, 2006, is part of a continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked whether they approved of the way President George W. Bush was handling the presidency and issues such as the economy and the situation in Iraq. Several questions asked which political party respondents trusted to handle the main problems the country would face in the next few years, whether they would vote for a Democrat or Republican candidate if the November 2006 election for the United States House of Representatives were being held that day, and which issue was most important in their vote. Views were sought on the war in Iraq and whether it had improved the lives of the Iraqi people, encouraged democracy in other Arab nations, and contributed to the long-term security of the United States. Respondents were polled on whether the Bush Administration and the Democrats in the United States Congress had a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq, how well the United States campaign against terrorism was going, whether the country was safer from terrorism than before September 11, 2001, and whether President Bush would be remembered more for the United States campaign against terrorism or the war in Iraq. A series of questions asked respondents whether they approved of the way United States military forces in Iraq were doing their job, whether a deadline should be set for their withdrawal from Iraq, and respondents' reactions to the alleged killings of Iraqi civilians by United States military forces. Additional topics addressed the death penalty, the federal government's detention of suspected terrorists without trial in the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the federal government's progress in its efforts to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Demographic variables include sex, age, race, education level, household income, political party affiliation, political philosophy, voter registration status, religious preference, and whether respondents considered themselves born-again or evangelical Christians.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Poll, January 2002 (ICPSR 3429)

Released/updated on: 2002-06-27
Geographic coverage: United States
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, the economy, education, environmental issues, the federal budget, the campaign against terrorism, and Social Security, as well as their views on Congress, the Republican party, the Democratic party, First Lady Laura Bush, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Those queried were asked which domestic and foreign policy issues should receive the administration's attention, which political party could be trusted to address these issues, and on what topics Bush should focus in his upcoming State of the Union speech. Respondents were asked to identify Bush's two most significant accomplishments and to assess his job performance during his first year in office. They were also asked whether Bush understood the problems of the average American, and whether big business, environmental groups, the oil/gas industry, and/or the American people had the appropriate amount of influence in the Bush administration. Opinions were elicited on the state of the nation's economy, how long the current economic recession would last, whether military spending or spending on social programs should be reduced to balance the federal budget, and whether the Bush administration was responsible for the budget deficit. Respondent views were sought on the 2001 collapse of the energy trading giant Enron Corporation. Topics covered whether the Enron situation was an isolated incident, whether new laws regulating corporate accounting practices or the enforcement of existing laws were necessary, the Bush administration's dealings with Enron, whether recipients of campaign contributions from Enron should disclose communications with Enron officials, and whether a full-scale federal investigation should be conducted. A series of questions addressed the ongoing war on terrorism. Topics covered respondent confidence in the ability of the United States government to prevent further terrorist attacks against Americans and to capture/kill Osama Bin Laden, whether his capture was necessary for the war to be considered a success, possible military action against Iraq to force Saddam Hussein from power, and whether non-citizens charged with terrorism should be put on trial in the United States court system or in a military tribunal. A series of questions focused on the benefits given to families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Items focused on whether payments should be reduced for families that had other sources of financial benefits, whether victims of previous terrorist attacks should be paid similar benefits, and whether payments should be made to the families and victims of all future terrorist attacks. Respondents expressed their degree of confidence in the federal government's ability to actually solve a problem. Those queried gave their opinions on the amount of waste in military and domestic program spending by the United States government, whether they would rather work in the public or private sector, and whether a smaller government with fewer services or a larger government with many services was preferred. A series of questions focused on Saudi Arabia. Topics covered whether Saudi Arabia was an ally or enemy of the United States, the importance of maintaining good relations with them, and whether the United States was dependent on the oil it buys from Saudi Arabia. In addition, respondents were asked to give their views on whether the federal government should allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, political orientation, voter registration and participation history, education, race, Hispanic descent, marital status, children in household, religion, labor union membership, urban/suburban/rural area of residence, whether close family/friends lost a job in the previous six months, and household income.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Six Months After September 11th Poll, March 2002 (ICPSR 3431)

Released/updated on: 2002-06-27
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll was undertaken to assess public opinion on United States military and political action regarding terrorism and terrorist threats six months after September 11, 2001. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and the campaign against terrorism. Views were also elicited on the military action in Afghanistan, the likelihood and necessity of capturing Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, foreign diplomacy, the possibility of broader anti-terrorist military action, and the effects of September 11th. A series of questions asked whether those queried supported military action in Afghanistan, whether they thought the military action was going well, whether the campaign would become more or less difficult, whether United States involvement would at some point become comparable to its involvement in the Vietnam War, and whether the United States was doing enough to avoid United States military casualties. In regards to bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network, respondents were asked how confident they were that bin Laden would be captured or killed, whether the success of the war on terrorism depended on bin Laden's being captured or killed, how effectively the United States had limited bin Laden's ability to maintain the Al Qaeda network, whether large numbers of United States military casualties should be risked to capture or kill bin Laden, and whether the United States should focus specifically on capturing/killing bin Laden, neutralizing the Al Qaeda network, neither of the two, or both actions. Another series of questions focused on United States diplomatic relationships and the possibility of expanding the current military campaign to other countries. Respondents were asked if the United States was effectively winning support from its allies in the war on terrorism, if the United States was effectively winning support from Muslims in general in the war against terrorism, if American troops should be sent to countries such as the Philippines and Yemen, and if American military action should be taken against Iraq in order to depose Saddam Hussein. If respondents supported action against Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein, they were asked whether allied opposition to such action would affect their support. With respect to future terrorist attacks, respondents were queried as to how much confidence they had in the United States government to prevent such attacks, how concerned they were about more terrorist attacks, and whether the United States was doing all it could to prevent terrorism. The final section focused on changes brought about by the events of September 11th and included questions on whether respondents felt those events had changed the United States in a lasting way, and if so whether this change was for the better or worse, whether respondents' personal lives had been changed, and if so whether their day-to-day lives or their feelings about things were more prominently affected. The last question asked about the respondent's pride in being an American. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, education, Hispanic origin, whether they were currently displaying an American flag in their homes or on their cars, and if so, whether they began doing so after September 11, 2002, or had already been displaying the flag beforehand.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Terrorist Attack Poll #1, September 2001 (ICPSR 3289)

Released/updated on: 2001-10-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted September 11, 2001, was undertaken to assess respondents' reactions to and feelings about the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers in New York City, damaged the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and resulted in a plane crash in Pennsylvania, earlier that day. Respondents were asked whether they believed that the United States government did all it reasonably could do to try to prevent the attacks, whether they were confident in the ability of the United States government to prevent further terrorist attacks against America, and whether they were concerned that someone they knew or their community might be a victim of future acts of terrorism. Assuming that the United States is able to identify the groups and/or nations responsible for the attacks, those queried were asked whether they would support taking military action in response, whether they would support such action if it meant war, and whether military action should be taken against countries that assist or shelter known terrorists. The poll gauged respondents' level of confidence in the ability of the United States government to find and punish those responsible and assessed whether respondents were willing to give up some liberties to crack down on terrorism. In addition, those surveyed were asked whether they did any of the following on that day: contacted family and friends, stayed home or left work early, watched or listened to broadcast news, prayed for the victims and their families, and/or changed their daily routines. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, employment status, Hispanic origin, and size of community in which they resided.
Curated

ABC News/Washington Post Terrorist Attack Poll #2, September 2001 (ICPSR 3290)

Released/updated on: 2001-10-01
Geographic coverage: United States
This special topic poll, conducted September 13, 2001, was undertaken to assess respondents' reactions to and feelings about the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center towers in New York City, damaged the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and resulted in a plane crash in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President George W. Bush and his handling of the presidency and the terrorist attacks. Respondents were asked whether they believed that the United States government did all it reasonably could do to try to prevent the attacks, and whether they were confident in the ability of the United States government to prevent future terrorist attacks against America. Assuming that the United States is able to identify the groups and/or nations responsible for the attacks, those queried were asked whether they would support taking military action in response. Respondents were asked whether they would feel the same way if military action meant that innocent civilians in other countries might be injured or killed and if military action resulted in a long war with large numbers of troops injured or killed. Those queried were asked whether they believed that the United States would go to war as a result of Tuesday's attacks. Respondents' opinions were elicited on Osama bin Laden, a suspect in the recent attacks, who reportedly lived in Afghanistan and was indicted for directing previous terrorist attacks. They were asked whether they would support attacking Afghanistan militarily if Afghanistan did not turn bin Laden over to the United States. Respondents were also asked whether they would support new laws that would make it easier for the FBI and other authorities to investigate suspected terrorists, giving up some of their personal liberties and privacy as a result of such laws, and whether they would support new airport security measures that might cause long delays in air travel. Those surveyed were asked about their personal safety concerns regarding upcoming air travel and whether they had cancelled or were planning to cancel future travel plans. Additional topics covered whether the attacks had made respondents more suspicious of people of Arab descent, how their children were reacting to the acts of terrorism, and whether the economy was heading into a recession. Background information on respondents includes age, gender, political party, children in household, and frequency of air travel.
Curated
Partially restricted

American Terrorism Study, 1980-2002 (ICPSR 4639)

Released/updated on: 2007-07-30
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1980-01-01--2002-08-01
This study was conducted in response to a lack of existing data collections relating specifically to acts of American terrorism. A primary goal of the study was to create an empirical database from which criminological theories and governmental policies could be effectively evaluated. The American Terrorism Study began in 1989 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Terrorist Research and Analytical Center released a list of persons indicted as a result of investigation under the FBI's Counterterrorism Program. Since that time, FBI has released additional lists to the principal investigators. After receiving a list of persons indicted in federal criminal court as a result of an official terrorism investigation, the researchers reviewed the cases at either the federal district court where the cases were tried or at the federal regional records center where the cases were archived. The researchers divided the dataset into five distinct datasets. Part 1, Counts Data, provides data on every count for each indictee in each indictment. This is the basic dataset. There were 7,306 counts from 1980 to 2002. Part 2, Indictees Data, provides data on each of the 574 indictees from 1980-2002. Part 3, Persons Data, provides data on the 510 individuals who were indicted by the federal government as a result of a terrorism investigation. Part 4, Cases Data, provides one line of data for each of the 172 criminal terrorism cases that resulted from a federal terrorism investigation. Part 5, Group Data, provides one line of case data for each of the 85 groups that were tried in federal court for terrorism-related activity. Each of the five datasets includes information on approximately 80 variables divided into four major categories: (1) demographic information, (2) information about the terrorist group to which the individual belongs, (3) prosecution and defense data, and (4) count/case outcome and sentencing data.
Curated

Assessment of Defense and Prosecutorial Strategies in Terrorism Trials in the United States, 1980-2004 (ICPSR 26241)

Released/updated on: 2014-11-11
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 1980-01-01--2004-01-01
This study created a flat-file database of information regarding defendants who were referred to United States Attorneys by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) following official terrorism investigations between 1980 and 2004. Its ultimate goal was to provide state and federal prosecutors with empirical information that could assist federal and state prosecutors with more effective strategies for prosecution of terrorism cases. The results of this study enhanced the existing 78 variables in the AMERICAN TERRORISM STUDY, 1980-2002 (ICPSR 4639) database by adding the 162 variables from the Prosecution and Defense Strategies (PADS) database. The variables in the PADS database track information regarding important pleadings, motions, and other key events that occur in federal terrorism trials; the PADS variables measure the strategies used by legal counsel as well as other legal nuances.
Curated
Restricted

A Behavioral Study of the Radicalization Trajectories of American "Homegrown" Al Qaeda-Inspired Terrorist Offenders, 2001-2015 [UNITED STATES] (ICPSR 36452)

Released/updated on: 2016-12-15
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2001-01-01--2015-01-01

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

The study aimed to develop and empirically test a dynamic risk assessment model of radicalization process characteristics of homegrown terrorists inspired by Al Qaeda's ideology. The New York Police Department (NYPD) model developed by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt was chosen as the basis for creating a typology of overt and detectable indicators of individual behaviors widely thought to be associated with extremism. Specific behavioral cues associated with each stage of radicalization were coded and used to estimate the sequencing of behaviors and the duration of the average radicalization trajectory. Out of 331 homegrown American Jihadists (Group A), 135 were selected for further examination of their radicalization (Group B). Data were collected from public records ranging from social media postings by the offenders themselves to evidence introduced in the adjudication of the offenses for which the offenders were incarcerated. Life histories were compiled for Group B, whose detailed biographies were used to chart the timelines of their radicalization trajectories.

The collection includes an Excel file which contains one data table for Group A (10 variables, n=331) and two data tables for Group B (32 variables, n=135 and 5 variables, n=135, respectively). An accompanying codebook file details the variables in these tables. There is also a document with approximately 1 page narratives for each of the 135 individuals in Group B. A file containing a key indicating the names of the subjects is not available with this collection.

Curated
Partially restricted

Response to Terrorism by Local Prosecutors in 70 Large Jurisdictions in the United States, 2004 (ICPSR 20262)

Released/updated on: 2007-10-16
Geographic coverage: United States
Time period: 2001-09-01--2003-10-01
The American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) conducted an exploratory study to examine how prosecutors can best respond to terrorism in a post-September 11 legislative environment. Because the passage of anti-terrorism legislation at the state level has the potential to have an impact on local prosecutors, who are responsible for enforcing state laws, the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI) designed a survey to examine local prosecutors' involvement in homeland security and the ways in which their offices' organizational structure have changed to facilitate their involvement. Surveys were mailed or faxed to the 112 largest jurisdictions in the country. The survey instrument was divided into the following seven sections: (1) Background Information on the Jurisdiction, (2) Experience With State Legislation, (3) Organizational Changes, (4) Challenges Facing Local Prosecutors, (5) Methods Used to Overcome Challenges, (6) Coordination With Other Agencies, and (7) Training Needs. The survey questions focused on the legal framework and organizational structure in which local prosecutors operate.
Curated

Terrorism and Preparedness Data Resource Center (ICPSR 192)

Released/updated on: 2008-05-15
Geographic coverage: Global

The Terrorism and Preparedness Data Resource Center (TPDRC) is housed at the University of Michigan's Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). TPDRC archives and distributes data collected by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and researchers about:

  • The nature of intra- (domestic) and international terrorism incidents, organizations, perpetrators, and victims

  • Governmental and nongovernmental responses to terror, including primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions

  • Citizen's attitudes towards terrorism, terror incidents, and the response to terrorism

It also organizes and streamlines access to extant research and administrative data from across the world that are relevant to the study of terrorism and the response to terrorism for descriptive and scientific analysis by academics and researchers.

The TPDRC also includes the Terrorism and Preparedness Survey Archive (TaPSA). As part of TPDRC, TaPSA archives national and international survey data and related research materials about terrorism, homeland security, and preparedness.