Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Publications

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    Public Remains Steady in Face of Anthrax Scare

    Introduction and Summary Reports of new anthrax cases in New York and elsewhere are not raising public anxiety or further demoralizing Americans. Reports of depression, sleeplessness and concern over renewed terrorism have not increased following the news on Oct. 12 that an NBC employee had been infected with anthrax. In the wake of those reports, […]

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    Americans Open to Dissenting Views on the War on Terrorism

    Introduction and Summary The American public is beginning to recover from the shock of the terrorist attacks – but it still has a long way to go. As many as 42% report that they have felt depressed in recent days because of the events of September 11, 21% say they continue to have difficulty concentrating […]

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    Military Action A Higher Priority Than Homeland Defense

    Introduction and Summary The public’s strong commitment to the use of military force in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is predicated at least in part on the idea that a good offense represents the best defense. By 44%-33%, Americans think that taking military action abroad to destroy global terrorist networks is more important […]

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    American Psyche Reeling From Terror Attacks

    Introduction and Summary Americans are standing tall at a time of crisis — they are united in their approval of the nation’s leaders, paying rapt attention to news, and say they are willing to suffer thousands of military casualties in a protracted conflict to retaliate for last week’s terrorist attacks. But at the same time […]

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    The Vanishing Surplus, Barely Noticed

    Judging from recent political discourse, “Who lost the budget surplus?” threatens to become the “Who lost China?” question of our times — the focus of finger-pointing for years to come. But there is a problem with that parallel: The American public knew about the loss of China — not so with the surplus. As recently […]

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    Economy, Education, Social Security Dominate Public’s Policy Agenda

    Introduction and Summary As President Bush and Congress return to work, a trio of long-standing concerns dominate the public’s list of policy priorities. The economy is the public’s leading priority, cited by eight-in-ten Americans, followed closely by education (76%) and Social Security (74%). Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill hold a 44%-37% edge over the president […]