 72 Percent Believe Democrats Would Leak War Information
Although Democrats in Congress are clamoring for the White House to be more forthcoming about the direction of the war on terrorism, the public isn't upset by the administration's actions. When told by Opinion Dynamics-Fox News interviewers that "Some Democrats on Capitol Hill have been complaining that President Bush is not giving them enough information about future plans for the war on terrorism," 33 percent in the mid-March poll said Bush should share more information with Congressional Democrats, but 57 percent said he should keep his plans confidential.
In response to a follow-up question, 16 percent said if more information were given, Democrats on Capitol Hill would keep it confidential, but 72 percent believed it would be leaked to the press.
Capturing or Killing Osama. In the March 7-10 ABC News-Washington Post poll, 44 percent (down from 64 percent in November) said the United States has to capture or kill Osama bin Laden for the war on terrorism to be a success. Fifty-three percent in the new poll said the war could be a success without his being killed or captured. Forty-four percent said it was worth risking a large number of casualties in order to capture or kill him, but 54 percent disagreed. Only 22 percent said the bigger focus of the war on terrorism should be trying to capture or kill bin Laden, while 63 percent considered it more important to capture or kill members of the al Qaeda network.
Osama or Saddam? The mid-March Opinion Dynamics-Fox News poll found that 19 percent believed that bin Laden poses a greater danger to the United States today than Saddam Hussein. Thirty-four percent said the Iraqi leader poses a greater threat. A significant 35 percent volunteered that they present an equal threat.
Local Droughts and Government Action. Forty-seven percent of respondents told Gallup-CNN-USA Today interviewers in early March that their local areas are experiencing a drought this year. When asked about improving water conservation, 37 percent said federal or state governments should pass new laws to limit consumer or business use of water, but 60 percent said voluntary action by individuals and businesses is sufficient. Another survey reveals that the majority of Americans believe Uncle Sam shouldn't get involved in marriage education. The Pew Research Center, in a late February-early March poll for Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that 18 percent thought the government should "start up programs that encourage people to get and stay married," but 79 percent said the government should stay out of this.
National and Community Service. In 1966, when the Gallup Organization asked people whether they favored "requiring all young men to give two years of service, either in the military forces or in nonmilitary work here or abroad, such as the Peace Corps," 72 percent said they did. In 1987, when Gallup asked about one year of service and added other service programs in which young men could serve, 55 percent were in favor of the requirement. In late February and early March, when the Pew Research Center (in a survey for the Pew Forum on Religion and American Life) updated Gallup's 1987 question, 61 percent were in favor. A separate question about requiring a year of service for young women revealed a gender gap, with 50 percent in favor of it for women. Young people who responded to Pew's survey were the least receptive to a service requirement (42 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds favored it for young men; 36 percent considered it a good idea for young women). Gallup's polls of 13- to 17-year-olds on this subject have also found gender gaps. The bipartisan polling team of Lake, Snell, Perry & Associates and the Tarrance Group conducted a survey in January for the Center for Democracy & Citizenship of the Council for Excellence in Government on the broader subject of the political and civic engagement of young people. Forty-three percent of 15- to 25-year-olds in the poll favored requiring all graduating high school students to complete a certain amount of community service to receive their diplomas, but 55 percent were opposed to this concept. Fifty-three percent favored making national or community service a condition for receiving government student loans and grants (43 percent were opposed). Eighty-one percent agreed with the idea of offering every young person a chance to do a full year of national community service and earn money toward college or advanced training.
The Shadow Government. In the mid-March Opinion Dynamics-Fox News poll people were told, "Recently there has been discussion about a so-called shadow government which consists of about 100 officials who live and work underground who would take over in the event of a disabling attack on Washington, D.C." Forty-six percent thought the shadow government was "reassuring" to the American people, while 36 percent said it was "disturbing."
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