Public Agenda Special Edition: Terrorism
Public Opinion: The Home Front
Not surprisingly, surveys reported public concern about terrorism was high in early February as the government put the country on "orange alert" and suggested families stockpile supplies. Surveys find the public's views are tinged with fatalism and a belief that some terrorist, sometime, will be able to strike the U.S. again.

On Feb. 7-9, as the government raised the terrorist "threat level," Gallup found 66 percent who thought there would be terrorist attacks in the next few weeks (16 percent said it was "very likely," 50 percent said it was "somewhat likely"). But fewer worried they or their families would be a victim: only 35 percent said they were somewhat worried and 13 percent said they were very worried. Nearly one-quarter (24 percent) told the ABC News/Washington Post poll on Feb. 16 that they had stockpiled supplies of some kind.

By contrast, 85 percent told Gallup another attack was likely during the anthrax scare of October 2001, with 40 percent believing it very likely. That was the high point in terms of public concern, with nearly a quarter believing they or their family might be a victim.

Yet only 41 percent of the public told the ABC News/Washington Post survey in early September 2002 that they were confident the government could prevent further attacks, a steady decline in confidence since November 2001 (63 percent).

http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/terrorism/terror_pubopinion2.htm