The Morning Call/
Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
SURVEY OF LEHIGH VALLEY REACTION TO
THE 5th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TERRORIST
ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11th, 2001
KEY FINDINGS REPORT
September 7, 2006
PART ONE
KEY FINDINGS:
1. As we reach the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001,
Lehigh Valley residents express concern regarding the possibility of a terrorist attack
directly affecting their family.
2. Despite concern for their family’s safety, a large majority of Lehigh Valley residents
are not concerned about an attack in their local community.
3. Most local residents have not changed any aspect of their behavior to avoid becoming
a victim of terrorism.
4. While confidence in the safety of airline travel has changed significantly since the
days after the attacks of 9/11, about 1 out of 3 Lehigh Valley residents reported being less
likely to fly since the terrorist strikes five years ago.
5. Valley residents express high levels of concern that Osama Bin Laden has not been
caught.
6. Local residents express a willingness to exchange some personal rights to prevent
future terrorist attacks but they also express significant concern that the federal
government may have gone too far in violating constitutional protections.
METHODOLOGY: The following key findings report summarizes data collected in a
telephone survey of residents of the Lehigh Valley between September 5 and 6, 2006.
Individual households in both Lehigh and Northampton counties were selected randomly
for inclusion in the study. The sample of phone numbers used in the survey was
generated by Genesys Sampling Systems of Ft. Washington, PA. Interviewing was
conducted by the staff of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion and PMI of
Easton with 425 surveys completed. This number of completions results in a margin of
error of +/- 5.% at the 95% confidence interval. Percentages throughout the survey have
been rounded upward at the .5 mark, thus many totals in the results will not equal 100%.
The survey questionnaire was designed by Christopher Borick, Ph.D. of the Muhlenberg
College Institute of Public Opinion in consultation with staff members of the Morning
Call. Analysis and report writing were completed by the Muhlenberg College Institute of
Public Opinion under the direction of Dr. Borick.
SECTION ONE: General levels of Concern Regarding Terrorism
Five years after the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, local
residents express mixed views on their level of security and the overall war on terrorism.
Despite significant drops in levels of concern since the days following the attacks of 9/11,
Lehigh Valley residents have significant concerns that the nation remains at risk of
further terrorist strikes. These are among the major findings in the most recent Morning
Call/Muhlenberg College survey of the Lehigh Valley. The current project is the fifth in
a series of surveys tracking local reaction to terrorism since September 2001.
Over the last five years there has been a steady decline in the percentage of Valley
residents expressing a high degree of concern about terrorism directly striking either their
family or themselves with only 17% of Lehigh Valley adults indicating they are very
concerned about this possibility. This marks a 15 point decrease in the percent of local
citizens maintaining high levels of apprehension regarding this matter since September of
2001. However, these numbers have slightly increased sine our last survey in 2003.
Factors such as high publicity surrounding various terrorist plots during recent months
may help explain this increase.
Table One
“How concerned are you that you or your family will become a
victim of a terrorist attack in the future? “
Sept.
01
Oct/Nov. 01
Sept. 02
Sept. 03
Sept. 06
Very Concerned
32%
21%
19%
12%
17%
Somewhat
Concerned
Not Very
Concerned
Not Concerned at
All
Don’t Know
41%
41%
46%
48%
48%
23%
32%
27%
28%
26%
3%
5%
8%
11%
8%
2%
1%
0%
1%
1%
Despite relatively few Valley residents indicating that they are very concerned for
the personal and family safety, local residents are more divided in their views on if the
nation is safer now than it was before the attacks of 9/11. As Table Two demonstrates,
Valley residents are fairly evenly spilt regarding the relative safety of the nation in
comparison with the pre September 11th period.
TABLE TWO
“Do you think that, as a country, we are safer from terrorist attacks, about as safe,
or less safe from terrorist attacks than we were before September 11, 2001?”
Safer
About as Safe
Less Safe
No Sure
32%
37%
27%
3%
While levels of concern regarding individual safely have slightly increased over
our the past three years, individuals living in the Lehigh Valley have grown steadily
more secure within their own communities. In particular there has been a decline in the
number of Valley residents who are concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack in
their community in each survey since September 11th, 2001. Today less than 1 out of 5
Lehigh Valley residents indicated that they are concerned about the possibility of a
terrorist attack in their community.
TABLE THREE
“Are you concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack in your community?”
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
31%
62%
7%
Oct/Nov. 01
30%
66%
4%
Sept. 02
24%
72%
4%
Sept. 03
23%
76%
2%
Sept. 06
18%
79%
4%
SECTION TWO: Changes in Individual Behavior
One of the most common questions regarding the impact of 9/11 on Americans is
regarding the impact of the terrorist strikes on individual behavior. In particular, have
individuals changed the way they live their lives because of the threat of terrorism? An
overwhelming majority of Lehigh Valley residents report that they haven’t changed their
lives in response to the terrorist threat against the nation, but there are indicators that the
events of 9/11 continue to impact the actions of a substantial number of local residents.
Only about 1 in 4 Valley residents reported that they have changed any aspect of
their lives to avoid becoming the victim of a terrorist attack since the September 11th
attacks. While most Valley residents indicate they haven’t made changes in their lives
since the attacks, the 28 percent that have made changes is the highest mark since our
survey in the week following the terrorist strikes five years ago.
TABLE FOUR
“Have you changed any aspect of your personal life in order
to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of terrorism since
the attacks of September 11th? “
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
33%
61%
6%
Oct/Nov. 01
26%
73%
1%
Sept. 02
24%
75%
1%
Sept. 03
21%
79%
<1%
Sept. 06
28%
72%
4%
Because of the role that air travel played in the 9/11 attacks, concerns regarding
airlines have been widely focused on over the past five years. Overall, confidence in the
safety of air travel among Lehigh Valley residents has increased substantially since the
period immediately following the terrorist attacks five years ago. In September 2001,
62% of Valley residents said they were less willing to travel on an airline, while current
numbers stand at 37%. This marks a 25% drop in the last five years, with the 2006 levels
statistically equal to the marks in our 2003 survey.
TABLE FIVE
“Have you been less willing to travel on an airline
since the attacks of September 11th?”
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
62%
36%
3%
Oct/Nov. 01
46%
51%
2%
Sept. 02
39%
58%
2%
Sept. 03
34%
65%
1%
Sept. 06
37%
61%
2%
Similarly, only 1 out of 4 Lehigh Valley adults reported that they are less willing
to go to urban area such as New York City since the September 11th attacks,
demonstrating a 13% decline since September 2001. However, there has been a slight
increase since 2003 in the number of Valley residents who are less willing to go to major
urban areas, with the current mark of 26% marginally higher than the 21% mark in 2003.
SECTION THREE: Views on the War on Terrorism
Since 9/11 The United States has taken numerous actions to prevent future attacks
on the nation. Measures such as military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with
passage of the US Patriot Act, have occurred as a result of the deadly strikes of five years
ago. Lehigh Valley residents express varied levels of satisfaction with efforts to reduce
terrorism since 9/11. First, Valley residents hold significantly negative views on the way
President George W. Bush has handled terrorism. In particular, only 37% of local
presidents approve of the way the President is guiding the war on terror. Comparatively,
52% of Lehigh Valley residents surveyed disapprove of Bush’s handling of the struggle
against terrorism. These numbers are similar to a national survey by the Pew Foundation
in august that found 50% of Americans disapproving of the President’s handling of
terrorism, compared to only 39% approving of his work in this area.
Interestingly, Valley residents are generally satisfied with the job that the federal
government is doing is preventing another terrorist attack. Just under 6 in 10 survey
respondents agreed that the federal government was doing a good job in preventing
terrorist strikes, with only 37% disagreeing with this view.
One of the greatest concerns of local residents regarding the war on terror is the
inability of the government to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden. Over 8 out of 10 local
resident expressed concern that the master mind behind 9/11 and other acts of terrorism
has not be found. These numbers are fairly consistent with our findings three years ago.
TABLE SIX
How concerned are you that Osama bin Laden has not been caught?
Very Concerned
Somewhat Concerned
Not very Concerned
Not concerned at all
Not Sure
Sept. 03
48%
34%
11%
6%
<1%
Sept. 06
52%
30%
11%
6%
1%
Finally, Lehigh Valley residents continue to express a willingness to sacrifice
some of their personal rights in order to stop terrorist attacks in the US. Two out of three
local resident indicated that they are willing to give up some of their personal rights to
make the nation safer from terrorism, with only 31 percent of survey respondents
opposed to giving up rights for this cause.
However, Lehigh Valley Residents are extremely divided on whether the federal
government has violated too many rights in its efforts to stop terrorism. As can be seen
in Table Seven, 46% of Valley citizens indicated that they though the federal
government has gone too far in violating individual rights in its efforts to protect the
public, while 47% of locals disagree with this position.
TABLE SEVEN
The federal government has violated too many Constitutional rights
of individuals in its attempt to fight terrorism.
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Not Sure
September 02
10%
21%
30%
30%
8%
September 03
19%
30%
24%
23%
4%
Christopher P. Borick
Director, Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
September 06
25%
21%
26%
23%
5%
Morning Call/Muhlenberg College
9/11 Anniversary Survey
Morning Call/Muhlenberg College
9/11 Anniversary Survey
Release Date: September 10th 2006
Date of Interviewing: September 5-6, 2006
Number of Completed Surveys: 425
Margin of Error +/- 5% at 95% level of confidence
Frequency totals may exceed 100% due to rounding at .5
Comparisons made with September 2001 survey of 300,
November 2001 survey of 305, and September 2002 survey of 308 and September
2003 of 300.
Q2. What county do you currently reside in?
1. Lehigh County………50%
2. Northampton County...49%
3. Other…………………2%
4. Not Sure……………...0%
5. Refuse………………..0%
Trend
Lehigh
Northampton
Sept. 01
54%
46%
Oct/Nov. 01
60%
40%
Sept. 02
53%
47%
Sept. 03
52%
48%
Sept. 06
50%
49%
Q3. Do you think that, as a country, we are safer from terrorist attacks, about as safe, or
less safe from terrorist attacks than we were before September 11, 2001?"
1. Safer…………………..32%
2. About as Safe………….37%
3. Less Safe………………27%
4. Not Sure (Volunteered)..3%
5. Refuse (Volunteered)….
Q4. Do you approve or disapprove of the way President Bush is handling terrorism and
homeland security?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Approve……37%
Disapprove…52%
Not Sure……0%
Refuse………0%
Q5. How concerned are you that you or your family
will become a victim of a terrorist attack
in the future? Are you very concerned, somewhat
concerned, not very concerned or not concerned at all?
1. Very concerned……….17%
2. Somewhat concerned….48%
3. Not very concerned……26%
4. Not concerned at all……8%
5. Not sure………………1%
6. Refused……………….0%
Trend
Sept.
01
Oct/Nov. 01
Sept. 02
Sept. 03
Sept. 06
Very Concerned
32%
21%
19%
12%
17%
Somewhat
Concerned
Not Very
Concerned
Not Concerned at
All
Don’t Know
41%
41%
46%
48%
48%
23%
32%
27%
28%
26%
3%
5%
8%
11%
8%
2%
1%
0%
1%
1%
Q6. Are you concerned about the possibility of
a terrorist attack in your community?
1. Yes……..18%
2. No……...79%
3. Not sure…4%
4. Refuse……0%
Trend
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
31%
62%
7%
Oct/Nov. 01
30%
66%
4%
Sept. 02
24%
72%
4%
Sept. 03
23%
76%
2%
Sept. 06
18%
79%
4%
Sept. 03
21%
79%
<1%
Sept. 06
28%
72%
4%
Sept. 03
34%
65%
1%
Sept. 06
37%
61%
2%
Q7. Have you changed any aspect of your personal
life in order to reduce your risk of becoming a
victim of terrorism since the attacks of September 11th 2001?
1. Yes……..28%
2. No……...72%
3. Not sure...1%
4. Refuse…..0%
Trend
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
33%
61%
6%
Oct/Nov. 01
26%
73%
1%
Sept. 02
24%
75%
1%
Q8. Are you less willing to travel on an
airline since the attacks of September 11th 2001?
1. Yes……..37%
2. No………61%
3. Not sure…1%
4. Refuse……1%
Trend
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
62%
36%
3%
Oct/Nov. 01
46%
51%
2%
Sept. 02
39%
58%
2%
Q9. Are you less willing to travel to major urban areas such
as New York City since the attacks of September 11th, 2001?
1. Yes………26%
2. No……….73%
3. Not sure….1%
4. Refuse……0%
Trend
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
39%
62%
7%
Oct/Nov. 01
NA
NA
NA
Sept. 02
20%
78%
3%
Sept. 03
21%
78%
2%
Sept. 06
26%
73%
1%
Sept. 03
30%
64%
6%
Sept. 06
39%
57%
4%
Q10. Have the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001
affected the way you view individuals of Arab origin
that are citizens or residents of the United States?
1. Yes…..39%
2. No……57%
3. Not sure….4%
4. Refuse……0%
Trend
Yes
No
Not Sure
Sept. 01
21%
75%
4%
Oct/Nov. 01
28%
68%
5%
Sept. 02
30%
65%
5%
Q11. How meaningful do you think the color-coded terror alert
system is in informing Americans of the risk of a
terrorist attack? Do you think it is very meaningful, somewhat
meaningful, not very meaningful, or not meaningful at all?
1. Very meaningful………14%
2. Somewhat meaningful…50%
3. Not very meaningful…..22%
4. Not meaningful at all….14%
5. Not sure……………….1%
6. Refuse………………….0%
Trend
Very meaningful
Somewhat meaningful
Not very meaningful
Not meaningful at all
Not sure
Sept. 03
10%
52%
22%
17%
2%
Sept. 06
14%
50%
22%
14%
1%
Q12. How concerned are you that Osama bin Laden has not been caught?
Are you very concerned, somewhat concerned, not very concerned,
or not concerned at all?
1. Very concerned……….52%
2. Somewhat concerned….30%
3. Not very concerned……11%
4. Not concerned at all……6%
5. Not sure………………..1%
6. Refuse………………….0%
Trend
Very Concerned
Somewhat Concerned
Not very Concerned
Not concerned at all
Not Sure
Sept. 03
48%
34%
11%
6%
<1%
Sept. 06
52%
30%
11%
6%
1%
Q13. How likely do you think it is that an act of terrorism will occur somewhere in the
United States in the next 12months? Is it very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely
or very unlikely?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Very likely………….26%
Somewhat likely……56%
Somewhat unlikely…11%
Very unlikely……….4%
Not sure…………….4%
Refused……………..0%
Q14. Next, I would like to read a few statements regarding efforts by
the government to prevent terrorism in the U.S. For each statement
I read please tell me if you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat
disagree, or strongly disagree with that statement. First, I am willing to give up some of
my personal rights in order to prevent future terrorist attacks.
1. Strongly agree……34%
2. Somewhat agree….30%
3. Somewhat disagree…13%
4. Strongly disagree……18%
5. Not sure……………..4%
6. Refuse……………….1%
Trend
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Not Sure
September 02
30%
37%
12%
16%
5%
September 03
23%
44%
12%
18%
3%
September 06
34%
30%
13%
18%
5%
Q15. The Federal Government has violated too many Constitutional
rights of individuals in its attempt to fight terrorism.
1. Strongly agree………..25%
2. Somewhat agree………21%
3. Somewhat disagree……26%
4. Strongly disagree………23%
5. Not sure………………..4%
6. Refuse………………….1%
Trend
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Not Sure
September 02
10%
21%
30%
30%
8%
September 03
19%
30%
24%
23%
4%
September 06
25%
21%
26%
23%
5%
Q16. The Federal Government is doing a good job preventing future
terrorist attacks.
1. Strongly agree……..18%
2. Somewhat agree……40%
3. Somewhat disagree…19%
4. Strongly disagree……17%
5. Not sure……………..5%
6. Refuse……………….0%
Trend
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Not Sure
September 02
19%
50%
12%
9%
10%
September 03
18%
53%
12%
10%
8%
September 06
18%
40%
19%
17%
5%