These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
73% Fear Terrorists More Than Nuclear Attack
Monday, December 27, 2010 Three-out-of-four U.S. voters (73%) fear a terrorist threat more than a nuclear attack. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 16% believe a potential nuclear attack is a greater threat to the United States.This view is shared across all demographic and partisan lines. (To see survey question wording, click here .)
Last week, by a 71-26 vote, the Senate ratified a nuclear arms agreement known as the START treaty. Half (49%) of the nation's voters wanted the Senate to confirm the START agreement even though just 27% believe Russia will honor its terms . However, just 30% were following news on the topic Very Closely.
These results come at a time when confidence in the War on Terror is at the lowest level in three years. However, the president earns higher ratings for his handling of national security matters than he does on the economy .
Polling conducted in October found that 74% believe it's at least somewhat likely there will be another terrorist attack in the United States in the next year . That figure includes 35% who see a potential attack as Very Likely. Those expectations, while high, are lower than the expectations in May after the Times Square bombing attempt in New York City and last December , just after a Nigerian Muslim's attempt to blow up an airliner in Detroit.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 21-22, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
National security issues have faded in importance to voters over the past several years. Rasmussen Reports tracks the importance of several broad issue clusters on a daily basis and the numbers document a dramatic shift in priorities.
On Election Day 2004, when George W. Bush was re-elected, more than 40% of voters rated national security matters as the most important issue and only half that number named the economy as most important.
By Election Day 2008, when Barack Obama was elected, the numbers were reversed--more than 40% named the economy as number one and only half as many named national security.
Over the past two years, the importance of national security issues to voters has fallen even further. As 2010 draws to a close, 43% name the economy as the top issue, 20% name fiscal policy concerns, 13% say they are most interested in domestic policy issues, and only 11% name national security as their highest priority. At the bottom of the list are cultural issues, of highest importance to only 6%.
Barring a major foreign policy event or national security threat, it appears likely that voters will remain more focused on the economic impact of the tax cut proposal deal approved by the lame duck Congress rather than the potential impact of the START treaty. Most voters (52%) favored the tax cut deal at the time it was approved .