How have Americans' understandings of the risks, implications and appropriate responses to acts of terrorism evolved in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001? In the immediate wake of those attacks, we fielded a large nation-wide telephone survey that explored Americans' reactions to the strike, their perceptions of the risks of future terrorist attacks, and appropriate policy responses both domestically and internationally. This project will consist of a follow-up survey with those who responded in the fall of 2001 to learn how their perceptions, beliefs and preferences have changed over the intervening year. Using batteries of questions employed in 2001, and new measures that will explore changes in behavior induced by threats of terrorism, we will test hypotheses concerning the stability, coherence and relevance of public beliefs and opinions. We will also employ questions to understand whether anti-terrorism efforts are seen as compatible with other national objectives, such as maintenance of an open society and preservations of individual liberties. The results will both inform the scholarly debate on the nature and coherence of public opinion and provide important insights into public support for policies designed respond to terrorist threats.
