Civil Liberties

Next, we'd like to know how you feel about the state of the nation in each of the following areas. For each one, please say whether you are -- very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. If you don't have enough information about a particular subject to rate it, just say so. How about government surveillance of U.S. citizens?

	Very satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Somewhat dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2016	7	33	23	29	8
2015	8	24	25	34	10
2014	7	23	25	38	7
Gallup

Which comes closer to your view -- [ROTATED: the government should take all steps necessary to prevent additional acts of terrorism in the U.S. even if it means your basic civil liberties would be violated, (or) the government should take steps to prevent additional acts of terrorism but not if those steps would violate your basic civil liberties]?

	Take all steps, even if liberties violated	Take steps but not violate liberties	No opinion
	%	%	%
2015 Jun 2-7	30	65	5
2011 Aug 11-14	25	71	4
2005 Dec 16-18 ^	31	65	4
2003 Nov 10-12 ^	31	64	5
2003 Aug 25-26 ^	29	67	4
2003 Apr 22-23	33	64	3
2002 Sep 2-4 ^	33	62	5
2002 Jun 21-23	40	56	4
2002 Jan 25-27	47	49	4
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

From what you know or have read about them, do you think the government's programs designed to prevent additional acts of terrorism violate your civil liberties, or not?

	Yes, violate civil liberties	No, do not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2015 Jun 2-7	41	55	5
Gallup

As you may know, as part of its efforts to investigate terrorism, a federal government agency obtained records from larger U.S. telephone and internet companies in order to compile telephone call logs and internet communications. How closely have you been following the news about this -- very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely or not at all?

	Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not too closely	Not at all	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2013 Jun 10-11	27	37	20	15	1
Gallup

Based on what you have heard or read about the program to compile telephone call logs and internet communications, would you say you approve or disapprove of this government program?

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2013 Jun 10-11	37	53	10
Gallup

Is that mainly because -- [ROTATED: you do not think the program seriously violates Americans' civil liberties, (or is it mainly because) you think investigating terrorism is the more important goal, even if it violates some Americans' civil liberties?

Based on those who approve of government call and internet usage logs monitoring program

	Does not seriously violate civil liberties	Investigating terrorism more important	No opinion
	%	%	%
2013 Jun 10-11	30	61	10
Gallup

Do you think there would ever be circumstances in which it would be right for the government to create a database of telephone logs and internet communications, or would it not be right for the government to do this under any circumstances?

Based on those who disapprove of government call and internet usage logs monitoring program

	Yes, would be circumstances	No, would not be	No opinion
	%	%	%
2013 Jun 10-11	39	57	4
Gallup

If you knew that the federal government had computerized logs of your telephone calls or internet communications stored in a database that it uses to track terrorist activity, how concerned would you be that your privacy rights had been violated -- very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?

	Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not at all concerned	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2013 Jun 10-11	35	22	21	21	1
Gallup

As you may know, the Bush administration has been wiretapping telephone conversations between U.S. citizens living in the United States and suspected terrorists living in other countries without getting a court order allowing it to do so. Do you think the Bush administration was right or wrong in wiretapping these conversations without obtaining a court order?

	Right	Wrong	No opinion
	%	%	%
2006 Sep 15-17	55	42	3
2006 Feb 9-12 ^	47	50	3
2006 Jan 20-22 ^	46	51	3
2006 Jan 6-8	50	46	4
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

As you may know, in the U.S. legal system the government is required to show defendants the evidence it has against them. In some terrorism trials, the government believes that showing defendants certain evidence may put American lives in danger. In your view, which would be worse -- [ROTATED: convicting defendants of terrorism based on evidence they are never shown, (or) having some terrorism suspects go free because the government chooses to withhold evidence rather than show it to the defendant]?

	Convicting and not showing evidence	Letting terroists go free	No opinion
	%	%	%
2006 Sep 15-17	48	41	11
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

When interrogating prisoners, members of the U.S. military are required to abide by the Geneva Convention standards which prohibit the humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners. When the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency questions suspects whom they believe to have information about possible terror plots against the United States, do you think -- [ROTATED: they should have to abide by the same Geneva Convention standards that apply to the U.S. military (or) they should be able to use more forceful interrogation techniques than the Geneva Convention standards that apply to the U.S. military]?

	Abide by standards	Able to use more forceful techniques	Other/Depends (vol.)	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2006 Sep 15-17	57	38	2	3
(vol.)=volunteered response
Gallup

Do you think the Bush administration -- [ROTATED: has gone too far, has been about right or has not gone far enough] -- in restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism]?

	Too far	About right	Not far enough	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2006 May 12-13	41	34	19	6
2006 Jan 6-8	38	40	19	3
2003 Nov 10-12 ^	28	48	21	3
2003 Aug 25-26 ^	21	55	19	5
2002 Sep 2-4 ^	15	55	26	4
2002 Jun 21-23 ^	11	60	25	4
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

As you may know, as part of its efforts to investigate terrorism, a federal government agency obtained records from three of the largest U.S. telephone companies in order to create a database of billions of telephone numbers dialed by Americans. Based on what you have heard or read about this program to collect phone records, would you say you approve or disapprove of this government program?

	Approve	Disapprove	No opinion
	%	%	%
2006 May 12-13	43	51	6
Gallup

Based on what you have heard or read about this program, do you think it -- [ROTATED: definitely violates the law, probably violates the law, probably does not violate the law (or) definitely does not violate the law]?

	Definitely violates	Probably violates	Probably does not violate	Definitely does not violate	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2006 May 12-13	22	32	25	14	8
Gallup

If you knew that the federal government had your telephone records, how concerned would you be -- very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not concerned at all?

	Very concerned	Somewhat concerned	Not too concerned	Not concerned at all	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2006 May 12-13	22	13	20	44	1
Gallup

If you knew that your telephone company had provided your telephone records to the federal government as part of this program, would you feel that your personal privacy had been violated, or not?

	Yes, would	No, would not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2006 May 12-13	57	42	1
Gallup

As you may know, shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a law called the Patriot Act was passed which makes it easier for the federal government to get information on suspected terrorists through court-ordered wiretaps and searches. How familiar are you with the Patriot Act -- very familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar or not at all familiar?

	Very familiar	Somewhat familiar	Not too familiar	Not at all familiar	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2006 Jan 6-8	17	59	18	6	*
2004 Feb 16-17	13	46	27	14	*
2003 Nov 10-12 ^	12	41	25	22	*
2003 Aug 25-26 ^	10	40	25	25	--
* Less than 0.5%; ^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

Based on what you have heard or read about the Patriot Act, do you think -- [ROTATED: all of its provisions should be kept, that it needs minor changes, that it needs major changes (or that) it needs to be eliminated completely]?

	Keep all	Needs minor changes	Needs major changes	Eliminate completely	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2006 Jan 6-8	13	50	24	7	7
Gallup

As you may know, shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a law called the Patriot Act was passed. That law deals with the ways the federal government can obtain private information on people living in the U.S. who are suspected of having ties with terrorists. Based on what you have read or heard, do you think the Patriot Act -- [ROTATED: goes too far, is about right or does not go far enough] -- in restricting people's civil liberties in order to investigate suspected terrorism?

	Goes too far	About right	Not far enough	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2005 Dec 16-18 ^	34%	44	18	4
2005 Jun 24-26	30%	41	21	8
^ Asked of a half sample
Gallup

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Civil Liberties

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