Time aspen ideas festival 2011 full report

SURVEY METHODOLOGY
•  From June 1, 2011 to June 8, 2011, Penn Schoen Berland conducted 2,017 interviews with
the adult general population of the United States. Of the 2,017 interviews completed, 1,008
interviews were conducted by phone and 1,009 interviews were conducted online.
Sample Size Margin of Error
General Population (All), including: 2,017 ±2.18%
Male 968 ±3.15%
Female 1,049 ±3.03%
Age 18-29 444 ±4.65%
Age 30-44 545 ±4.20%
Age 45-64 686 ±3.74%
Age 65+ 343 ±5.29%
Democrats 625 ±3.92%
Republicans 585 ±4.05%
Independents/Undecided 807 ±3.45%
Less than $75K annual income 1,392 ±2.63%
$75K+ annual income 524 ±4.28%
College degree 629 ±3.91%
No college degree 1,357 ±2.66%
White 1372 ±2.65%
African-American 242 ±6.3%
Hispanic 262 ±6.05%

•  The data presented in this study is reflective of the U.S. Census Bureau demographic
statistics in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, income, education, region, and urbanicity.
1

KEY FINDINGS
The Decade’s Defining Moment: September 11, 2001
•  41% of respondents cite September 11, 2001 as the single most important event of
the past decade
•  63% of Americans think that the events of 9/11 weakened the U.S. and only 6%
believe that the country has completely recovered from the events of 9/11
•  71% are satisfied with the government’s response to September 11, 2001 (23% not
satisfied) and 41% say the government could have taken additional actions to
respond to the events (35% say no additional actions should have been taken)
A Decade of Decline
•  68% of respondents think the past decade has been one of decline for the United
States as a country, while only 23% believe the U.S. has progressed as a country in
the past 10 years
•  71% of Americans believe that the U.S. is in a worse position today than it was a
decade ago, while only 11% think the country is in a better position
•  47% say the past decade was one of the worst decades in the past century, 32%
say it was about the same as other decades in the past century, while only 13%
believe it was one of the best
Americans Blame their Political Leaders, not Terrorists, for the Decline
•  Among the 71% of respondents who think the country is in a worse position, there is
a clear consensus that their leaders are most to blame: 23% most blame the Bush
Administration, 20% blame the Obama Administration, and 16% cite the U.S.
Congress
•  Only 7% of the American people who think the U.S. is now in a worse position than
a decade ago believe that terrorist groups are most to blame for it

2
©PENN, SCHOEN & BERLAND ASSOCIATES, LLC.

KEY FINDINGS (CONTINUED)
The Enemy is Within: Economic Issues are Paramount
•  66% think the greatest threats to long-term stability in the United States come primarily
from within the United States, not from outside (27%)
•  75% say that economic concerns present a greater threat to the current stability of the
U.S. than national security concerns – only 18% think the reverse is more accurate
•  Only 10% of Americans think that these internal threats are being addressed very
effectively (another 32% say somewhat effectively, but 53% say not effectively)
•  62% of respondents think that the U.S. is too involved in international affairs (10% say
that it is not involved enough) and 83% say the U.S. needs to focus on domestic, not
international, issues in the next decade – only 12% say the focus should be international

A Major Terrorist Attack is Likely in the Next Decade
•  78% say it is likely that a major terrorist attack will take place in the U.S. in the next
decade (35% say very likely and 43% say somewhat likely)
•  49% of respondents are concerned that they will become a victim of terrorism in the next
decade (versus 48% who say they are not concerned about the possibility)
•  41% of Americans think that the killing of bin Laden has increased the threat of terrorism
against the U.S. (19% say it has decreased the threat) and only 31% say the killing of bin
Laden gives them a sense of closure (56% say the killing does not give them closure)
Time to Leave Afghanistan; Democratic Elections in Middle East Perceived to
Have Little Impact on U.S. National Interests
•  2 in 5 Americans think that President Obama’s timeline to end U.S. combat operations in
Afghanistan by 2014 is too slow, 38% think it is about right, while 10% perceive the
timeline as too fast
•  Fewer than 3 in 10 Americans expect that the new governments in Tunisia and Egypt will
be friendlier towards the U.S. or will work to reduce terrorism, while the rest expect no
change (1 in 3) or a turn for the worse (1 in 5)

3

THE DECADE’S DEFINING MOMENT:
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

NEW YORK • WASHINGTON • DENVER • SEATTLE • LOS ANGELES • SAN FRANCISCO • AUSTIN• LONDON • HONG KONG • BEIJING • DUBAI
4

THE DECADE’S DEFINING MOMENT:
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
What was the single most important EVENT in the past decade?
OPEN-END

September 11, 2001 41%
Election of Barack Obama 9%
Economic recession 7%
Death of Osama bin Laden 5%
War in Iraq 3%
The war on terror 3%
Housing market crash 2%
Passage of the Healthcare bill 1%
Reelection of George W. Bush 1%
Other 15%
Don’t know 13% Showing All

5

9/11 IS SEEN AS THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT
OF THE DECADE BY EVERY SUB-GROUP
What was the College
Political
single most Gender Age Income Attainme Race
Affiliation
important EVENT nt
in the past All
decade? OPEN- M F 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ D R I <$75k>$75k No Yes White AA Hisp
END
September 11, 2001 41 40 41 46 45 39 31 36 46 41 38 46 38 48 43 27 39
Election of Barack
9 9 9 7 8 11 8 15 4 8 9 9 9 8 7 24 9
Obama
Economic recession 7 8 7 7 5 9 8 7 8 7 6 9 7 7 8 7 6
Death of Osama bin
5 4 6 6 6 4 5 5 4 6 6 4 5 4 5 5 8
Laden
The war on terror 3 2 4 3 4 3 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 4

War in Iraq 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 2

Housing market crash 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 0 2
Reelection of George
1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
W. Bush
Passage of the
1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
Healthcare bill
Others 15 16 13 11 15 15 18 14 14 16 15 15 15 14 14 15 17

Don't Know 13 14 13 15 12 10 20 14 14 13 16 8 15 9 14 14 12

6

63% THINK THE EVENTS OF 9/11 AT LEAST
SOMEWHAT WEAKENED THE UNITED STATES
To what extent did the events of 9/11 weaken the U.S.?

A great deal Somewhat Not very much Not at all

22% 41% 18% 12%

Showing All

College
Gender Age Political Affiliation Income Race
Attainment
All
M F 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ D R I <$75k >$75k No Yes White AA Hisp

WEAKEN (TOTAL) 63 57 67 63 62 62 64 65 61 62 65 59 63 62 61 63 69
A great deal 22 20 23 19 22 24 18 25 17 22 23 20 23 19 18 29 34
Somewhat 41 37 44 44 40 38 46 40 44 40 42 39 40 43 43 34 35
NOT WEAKEN
30 37 24 28 31 32 31 29 34 28 29 38 29 34 32 28 23
(TOTAL)
Not very much 18 22 14 19 19 17 19 16 20 18 18 20 18 19 19 15 15
Not at all 12 15 10 9 12 15 12 13 14 10 11 18 11 15 13 13 8
Don’t know 7 5 9 10 7 7 4 6 5 10 7 4 8 4 6 8 9
7

MAJORITY SAYS 9/11 HAS HAD A MOSTLY
NEGATIVE LONG-TERM IMPACT
•  However, 3 in 10 Americans believe that the long-term impact of 9/11 has been
mostly positive on the United States

Looking back on the events of 9/11, would you say that their long-term impact on the
United States was…

Mostly positive Mostly negative Don't Know

30% 56% 14%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Mostly positive 30 33 27 28 29 31 32 30 34 27 30 29 30 29 31 35 21
Mostly negative 56 54 58 58 59 52 57 54 54 59 54 61 54 60 55 49 59
Don’t know 14 13 15 14 12 17 12 16 12 14 16 10 16 10 14 16 20

8

ONLY 6% BELIEVE THE COUNTRY HAS
RECOVERED FROM 9/11 COMPLETELY
•  Republicans are more likely than Democrats or Independents to think that the
U.S. has recovered from the events of 9/11

To what extent do you think that the United States has recovered from the events of 9/11?

Completely Mostly A little Not at all

6% 51% 33% 5%

Showing All
College
Attainment
All

RECOVERED
57 59 55 58 56 55 57 57 63 51 55 59 56 59 58 51 53
(TOTAL)
Completely 6 7 5 8 4 6 4 6 5 6 5 7 6 6 5 10 6
Mostly 51 52 50 50 52 49 53 51 58 45 50 52 50 53 53 41 47
NOT RECOVERED
38 37 40 35 39 40 41 39 33 42 39 40 39 39 37 42 43
(TOTAL)
A little 33 31 35 28 34 35 36 33 30 35 34 33 34 33 32 36 37
Not at all 5 6 5 7 5 5 5 6 3 7 5 7 5 6 5 6 6
Don’t know 5 5 6 7 6 5 2 3 4 8 5 2 5 2 5 8 4
9

7 IN 10 ARE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT SATISFIED
WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO 9/11
•  Younger Americans (18-29) and Independents are least likely to be satisfied
with the response
Looking back, how satisfied are you with the government’s response to 9/11?

Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Not very satisfied Not at all satisfied

25% 46% 15% 8%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

SATISFIED
71 72 71 64 69 75 79 71 83 62 71 75 70 74 73 66 67
(TOTAL)
Very satisfied 25 27 24 19 26 29 26 24 35 19 27 23 26 24 26 26 26
Somewhat satisfied 46 45 47 45 43 46 53 47 48 43 44 52 44 50 47 40 41
NOT SATISFIED
23 23 22 25 26 21 18 23 12 29 23 22 22 24 20 25 25
(TOTAL)
Not very satisfied 15 15 15 16 17 13 13 15 9 18 16 12 15 14 13 16 16
Not at all satisfied 8 8 7 9 9 8 5 8 3 11 7 10 7 10 7 9 9
Don’t know 6 6 7 11 6 5 4 6 4 9 6 3 8 2 6 9 8
10

27% THINK THE U.S. HAS NOT SPENT ENOUGH
MONEY TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM TERRORISM
•  Independents are more likely than Democrats or Republicans to say the U.S.
has spent too much money securing the country from terrorism
Do you think the U.S. has spent too much money securing the country from
terrorism, not enough, or just the right amount of money?

Too much
38% money
Not enough
27%
14% Just the right
21% amount
Don't know
Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Too much money 21 23 20 25 25 18 17 19 16 27 22 20 20 26 21 19 23
Not enough 27 28 26 16 24 33 30 23 35 23 27 28 28 24 28 29 24
Just the right amount 38 37 39 44 39 34 38 45 37 34 37 42 38 40 38 37 39
Don’t know 14 13 15 15 12 14 15 12 12 16 14 10 14 11 14 15 14

11

MOST THINK THAT THE GOVERNMENT’S
RESPONSE DOMESTICALLY WAS JUSTIFIED
•  Independents, young Americans (18-29), and those with a college degree are
less likely than other sub-groups to be satisfied with the domestic response

Do you think the government’s response to 9/11 within the United States, including
the Patriot Act, enhanced security at airports, and the creation of the Department of
Homeland Security went too far and encroached on American civil liberties or was
the response justified as a means of protecting American citizens?

Went too far Justified Don't Know

26% 62% 12%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Went too far 26 31 22 30 29 23 24 24 21 32 26 28 24 33 26 20 30
Justified 62 60 64 52 59 68 69 65 71 53 62 66 63 62 63 64 57
Don’t know 12 9 14 19 12 9 7 11 8 15 12 7 13 6 10 16 13

12

PLURALITY SAYS THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD
HAVE TAKEN ADDITIONAL ACTIONS AFTER 9/11
•  Men, Hispanics, and those with an annual income exceeding $75,000 are the
three sub-groups most likely to say that the government should have taken
additional actions

Thinking about the government’s response to 9/11, were there
additional actions that you think SHOULD HAVE been taken?

Yes No Don't Know

41% 35% 24%

Showing All

Political College
Gender Age Income Race
Affiliation Attainment
All

Yes 41 46 37 38 45 42 37 41 37 44 40 46 41 43 39 45 46
No 35 34 36 39 35 33 34 34 40 32 35 37 34 37 36 32 32
Don’t know 24 20 27 23 19 25 29 25 22 24 25 17 25 20 24 23 22

13

ADDITIONAL ACTIONS THAT SHOULD
HAVE BEEN TAKEN AFTER 9/11
IF ADDITIONAL ACTIONS (N=831): What actions should have been taken? OPEN-END

More aggressive/rapid response 19%
Should have gone after the right people 12%
Better transportation and border security 11%
More intelligence 5%
Taken warnings more seriously 5%
Just did not like the way the govt. handled things 4%
Should not have rushed to war so fast 3%
More for families of the victims 3%
Cut ties to countries that harbor terrorists 2%
The government did a good job 2%
More international diplomacy 2%
Earlier/quicker investigation 2%
The government should have told the truth 1%
Less political correctness 1%
Focused more on the U.S. 1%
Other 16%
Don't know 13%
14

1 IN 4 SAYS SOME OF THE U.S. ACTIONS
AFTER 9/11 SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN
•  Democrats, those with a higher level of income, and those respondents with a
college degree are more likely than other sub-groups to say that some actions
that were taken should not have been taken as a response to 9/11

Thinking about the government’s response to 9/11, did the
government take actions that you think should NOT have been taken?

Yes No Don't Know

26% 55% 19%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Yes 26 29 23 26 30 27 18 31 17 29 24 34 22 34 25 30 25
No 55 54 56 51 54 55 63 48 69 51 56 54 57 53 57 50 53
Don’t know 19 16 21 23 16 18 20 21 14 20 20 12 21 13 18 20 23

15

ACTIONS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO 9/11
•  Those who say the U.S. should not have taken certain actions following 9/11
primarily cite the invasion of Iraq
IF ACTIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN (N=526):
What actions should not have been taken? OPEN-END

* A word cloud is a visual representation of free-form text, with a larger font size
indicating a greater number of respondents referenced the term in their response
16

2 IN 5 SAY THEIR DAILY LIVES ARE STILL
AFFECTED BY THE EVENTS OF 9/11
•  Hispanics are most likely to say that the events of 9/11 still affect their daily
lives, while those respondents age 18-29 are least likely to say they feel the
effect of the events on a daily basis

Did the events of 9/11 change your life in ways that still affect
your day-to-day life?

Yes No Don't Know

39% 55% 6%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Yes 39 37 40 34 43 40 36 39 41 37 37 45 38 41 36 45 48
No 55 56 54 58 52 52 61 54 55 56 55 52 55 54 59 44 43
Don’t know 6 7 6 8 5 8 3 7 4 7 7 3 7 4 5 12 9

17

WAYS 9/11 STILL AFFECTS PEOPLE’S DAILY
LIVES TODAY
•  Increased caution while traveling and dealing with enhanced airport security
are the primary ways Americans say their life is still affected by 9/11

IF STILL AFFECTED (N=783): In what ways? OPEN-END


18

4 IN 5 THINK THE COUNTRY FELT MORE
VULNERABLE THAN EVER AFTER 9/11
After the events of 9/11 do you think the country went through an emotional change– do you
think the U.S. felt more vulnerable than ever to a potential attack or did the events of 9/11 not
really change the country emotionally?

The U.S. felt more vulnerable than ever to a potential attack
Did not really change the country emotionally
Don't Know

81% 12% 7%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All
The U.S. felt more
vulnerable than ever 81 80 82 76 81 84 84 82 83 80 80 85 79 85 84 74 80
to a potential attack
Did not really change
the country 12 12 11 14 12 10 12 11 12 12 12 10 12 10 10 16 12
emotionally
Don’t know 7 7 6 9 7 7 4 7 5 8 7 5 8 4 6 10 9
19

THE EVENTS OF 9/11 MOSTLY UNITED
AMERICANS
•  Hispanics are more likely than white Americans or African-Americans to say
that the impact of the 9/11 events has been mostly divisive on Americans

Looking back on the events of 9/11, would you say that their impact has mostly
divided Americans or mostly united them?

Mostly united Mostly divided Don't Know

71% 19% 10%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Mostly united 71 71 71 63 69 75 78 73 75 66 70 74 71 70 73 70 62
Mostly divided 19 20 18 25 21 16 15 19 16 22 18 21 17 24 18 18 25
Don’t know 10 9 11 13 10 9 7 8 9 12 12 5 12 6 9 13 13

20

MOST THINK AMERICANS ARE WORKING
TOGETHER MORE SINCE 9/11
•  Independents are less likely than Republicans and Democrats to say that
Americans are working together more since 9/11

Since the events of 9/11, do you think Americans are working together more to achieve
common objectives, or are they working against each other more?

Working together Working against each other Don't Know

57% 27% 16%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Working together 57 53 61 56 56 60 56 67 59 48 58 55 60 50 55 64 63
Working against
27 31 23 30 27 25 25 22 24 32 25 33 23 35 28 23 22
each other
Don’t know 16 16 16 14 17 15 19 11 17 19 17 12 17 15 17 13 16

21

A NECESSARY CONVERSATION ABOUT
ALLEGIANCE OR MORE INTOLERANCE?
•  Republicans, respondents age 65+, and men are more likely to say that 9/11 led
to a necessary conversation, while young Americans (18-29), Democrats, and
minorities are more likely to say it raised intolerance towards minorities
Which is closer to your view?

The events of 9/11
led to a necessary The events of 9/11
conversation senselessly
about the raised intolerance
allegiance to the 48% 37% toward minorities
United States of living in the
certain groups of United States.
people. Showing All

Political College
All
Necessary conversation
about the allegiance to the 48 52 44 40 45 50 57 37 66 43 47 52 46 51 51 38 40
United States
Senselessly raised
intolerance toward 37 35 39 44 38 36 27 48 22 38 36 38 36 38 35 41 43
minorities
Don’t Know 15 14 17 15 17 14 15 14 12 19 17 10 18 11 14 21 17
22

2 IN 5 SAY AMERICANS HAVE BECOME MORE
TOLERANT OVER THE PAST DECADE

Do you generally think that Americans are more tolerant today of other people, less
tolerant, or are they about as tolerant of other people as they were a decade ago?

More tolerant
29%
Less tolerant
28%
39% About the same
4%
Don't know
Showing All

College
Attainment
All

More tolerant 39 39 39 36 42 40 35 39 42 36 37 42 38 40 38 41 41
Less tolerant 29 28 30 30 29 30 27 33 23 31 31 25 30 28 28 27 35
About the same 28 29 27 28 25 27 33 24 31 28 27 31 27 29 29 28 20
Don’t know 4 4 4 6 4 3 5 4 4 5 4 2 5 3 4 4 4

23

SOME SAY AMERICANS HAVE BECOME
LESS TOLERANT OF MUSLIMS
IF LESS TOLERANT (N=589): Which specific group or groups of people do you
think Americans are less tolerant of than they were a decade ago? OPEN-END

Muslims 33%
Immigrants 20%
Hispanics 16%
Gays and lesbians 8%
Young adults 8%
Upper class Americans 7%
African-Americans 6%
Seniors 6%
Caucasians 5%
Working class Americans 5%
Middle class Americans 5%
Jews 3%
Don't Know / No Response 13%
Showing All (N=589)
Others 13%
24

9/11: A LASTING IMPACT ON HOW
AMERICANS PERCEIVE MUSLIMS
•  In each major sub-group approximately 3 in 4 say that the events of 9/11 have
had a lasting impact on Americans’ tolerance of Muslims

Do you think the events of 9/11 have had a lasting impact on Americans’
tolerance of Muslims?

Yes No Don't Know

78% 14% 8%

Showing All

Political College
All

Yes 78 77 78 80 76 79 76 78 81 75 77 81 77 79 79 71 80
No 14 15 12 11 15 14 15 14 14 14 15 13 14 14 14 14 10
Don’t Know 8 8 9 9 10 7 9 9 5 11 9 6 9 7 7 15 10

25

A DECADE OF DECLINE

26

A DECADE OF DECLINE
•  Fewer than 1 in 4 of respondents think that it has been a decade of progress;
African-Americans are the most likely sub-group to say that the pass decade
has been one of progress (43% versus 23% of all respondents)

Overall, do you think the past decade has been one of progress or decline for the United
States as a country?

Progress Decline Don't Know

23% 68% 9%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All
Progress 23 24 22 27 24 20 20 32 14 22 23 23 24 21 18 43 29
Decline 68 69 67 60 67 72 72 56 79 69 67 70 66 71 74 46 58
Don’t Know 9 7 11 13 9 7 8 12 7 9 10 7 10 8 8 11 12

27

7 IN 10 THINK THE COUNTRY IS IN A WORSE
POSITION THAN IT WAS A DECADE AGO
•  Republicans, seniors (age 65 and older), and white Americans are most likely to
say that the country is worse off than it was a decade ago
Generally speaking, do you think the U.S. is in a better or worse position than it was a
decade ago, or is it about the same?

71% Better
Worse
16% About the same
Don't know
2%
11% Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Better 11 12 10 12 12 10 7 18 4 10 11 11 11 11 8 22 10
Worse 71 70 72 66 68 74 78 60 84 71 71 71 71 72 77 43 70
About the same 16 16 16 20 18 13 13 20 10 17 16 16 16 16 13 31 16
Don’t know 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 4 4
28

THE RISING NATIONAL DEBT – THE MOST
IMPORTANT TREND OF THE DECADE
Which of the following is the most important TREND of the past decade? OPEN-END

The rising national debt 16%
U.S. jobs being sent overseas 14%
Increased use of technology 13%
Increasing corporate greed 9%
Spread of global terrorism 7%
Increasing immigration 5%
The decline of home prices 5%
The rise of social media 5%
Increasing role of women in the workplace and politics 3%
The U.S. population becoming more ethnically diverse 3%
The U.S. population getting older 2%
The 24-7 news cycle 2%
The rise of online search 2%
The increasing number of independent voters 1%
Arab Spring protests in the Middle East 1%
The decline of print media 1%
Other 4%
Showing All
Don’t know 6%
29

WEAKER ECONOMY THE TOP REASON FOR
THE U.S. BEING IN A WORSE POSITION
IF U.S. IS IN WORSE POSITION (N=1,440) Why do you think the U.S. is in a
worse position than it was a decade ago? OPEN-END

Weaker economy 28%
Rising national debt 17%
Higher unemployment 16%
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq 12%
High government spending 11%
Loss of jobs to overseas 10%
High fuel costs 8%
Weaker U.S. dollar 8%
Healthcare reform 5%
Rise of other global powers like China, India 5%
Weaker partnerships with allies 4%
More government regulation 4%
Fear of terrorism 4%
More partisanship in Washington 4%
Fewer personal liberties 3%
Tax cuts 3%
Less government regulation 2%
Other 28%
Don't Know / No Response 6% Showing All
(N=1,440) 30

AMERICANS WHO THINK THE U.S. IS IN A
BETTER POSITION: THE TOP REASONS
IF U.S. IS IN BETTER POSITION: Why do you think the U.S. is in a better
position than it was a decade ago? OPEN-END

Barack Obama elected president 22%
Technological advances 16%
Stronger economy 9%
Improvements in national security and safety 6%
More democracy in the Middle East 6%
Stronger partnerships with allies 5%
Healthcare reform 5%
Progress in Iraq 5%
Progress in Afghanistan 4%
Death of Osama bin Laden 4%
Death of Saddam Hussein 2%
Less government regulation 1%
More government regulation 1%
Tax cuts 1%
Other 34%
Don't know 20%
Showing All (N=214)

31

35% OF AMERICANS ARE WORSE OFF
THAN THEY WERE A DECADE AGO
•  Americans whose annual income is more than $75,000 are significantly more
likely than those with a lower income to say their life has improved
Are you personally in a better or worse position than you were a decade
ago, or is it about the same?

35% Better

33% Worse
About the same
32% Don't know
1%
Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Better 32 33 30 36 43 24 21 34 28 32 26 46 28 40 30 39 31
Worse 35 34 35 26 31 41 38 36 36 33 40 21 37 28 35 30 32
About the same 33 32 33 35 25 34 40 29 34 34 32 32 33 32 33 29 35
Don’t know 1 1 1 3 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1
32

ONE OF THE WORST DECADES IN THE
PAST CENTURY
•  White Americans are significantly more likely than racial minorities to perceive
it as one of the worst decades
In your opinion, how does the past decade compare to the other decades in the past hundred
years? Would you say this past decade has been one of the best in the past century, one of the
worst, or has it been about the same?

One of the best

32% One of the
47%
worst
About the same
8%
13%
Don't know
Showing All

College
Attainment
All

One of the best 13 15 11 15 14 12 10 17 11 11 13 12 15 9 9 21 23
One of the worst 47 47 47 40 47 50 51 42 51 48 47 47 45 51 52 34 34
About the same 32 32 33 36 31 31 32 32 30 34 31 35 31 34 31 37 35
Don’t know 8 6 9 9 8 7 7 9 8 7 8 7 9 6 8 8 8
33

RESPONDENTS SAY THE OVERALL QUALITY OF
LIFE HAS DECLINED FOR MANY AMERICANS
Please indicate whether you think the overall quality of life has improved, declined, or stayed the
same in the past decade for each of the following groups of people living in the United States.

Declined Improved Stayed the same
Upper class
Gays and
Americans
Hispanics lesbians
African-
Immigrants
Americans
Jews
48%
15% 16% 33% 44% 55%
41%
14% 17% 23%
9% 10%
41% 37%
25% 32% 25% 31%
17% 20% 22% 22% 23% 19%
16% 19% 15% 11%
32% 24% 24%
38%
55% 54%
70% 64% Muslims
Caucasians

Seniors Young adults
Middle class
Working class Americans Showing All
Americans
34

DETERIORATED RELATIONSHIPS WITH
MANY FOREIGN COUNTRIES
In the past decade, has each of the following country’s relationship with
the U.S. improved, deteriorated, or remained the same?

Deteriorated Improved Remained the same United Kingdom

India China
Russia
26%
Saudi
Arabia Israel 19% 24%
33%
10% 12%
11%
4% 5% 7%
6% 22% 47%
5% 7% 38% 15% 42% 40%
29% 26% 31% 35% 33%
17% 19% 25% 17% 14% 14%

15% 13%
22% 24%
38% 34% 38% 35%
42%
51% 51%
58% 62% 62% 59%
Yemen Egypt
Syria
North Iraq
Libya Korea
Iran Pakistan Afghanistan Showing All
35

AMERICANS BLAME THEIR LEADERS, NOT
TERRORISTS, FOR THE DECLINE

36

AMERICANS BLAME THEIR LEADERS
IF U.S. IS IN A WORSE POSITION : Which of these, if any, is most to blame for the U.S.
being in a worse position than it was a decade ago?

The Bush administration 23%
The Obama administration 20%
The U.S. Congress 16%
Corporate CEOs 8%
Terrorist groups 7%
Wall Street 6%
Special interest groups 5%
Immigrants 3%
Ordinary American people 3%
Rising powers like China and India 2%
Labor unions 2%
Other 3%
Showing All
Don’t know 2% (N=1,440)
37

AMERICANS BLAME THEIR LEADERS FOR
THE DECLINE
IF U.S. in a worse College
position: Which of Attainment
those, if any, is most
All
to blame for the U.S. (N=1,440)
being in a worse M F 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ D R I <$75k >$75k No Yes White AA Hisp
(N=683) (N=757) (N=295) (N=369) (N=508) (N=268) (N=376) (N=493) (N=571) (N=992) (N=373) (N=962) (N=455) (N=1062) (N=104) (N=183)
position than it was a
decade ago?
The Bush administration 23 19 26 31 25 21 13 45 7 21 24 17 24 22 17 54 33
The Obama
20 20 20 15 14 21 32 6 36 16 19 23 20 21 24 1 13
administration
The U.S. Congress 16 21 11 10 15 17 21 9 20 16 16 16 16 16 18 9 12
Wall Street 6 7 6 5 7 7 4 6 6 6 5 8 6 7 5 10 9
Corporate CEOs 8 7 9 7 10 8 6 10 5 9 8 8 7 10 8 4 3
Special interest groups 5 5 4 3 6 5 3 3 5 5 4 6 4 5 4 3 7
Labor unions 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 0 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 0 2
Terrorist groups 7 6 8 12 7 6 4 7 5 9 8 5 8 5 7 6 9
Ordinary American
3 4 2 7 5 1 1 3 2 5 3 4 3 4 3 2 7
people
Rising powers like China
2 2 2 1 2 1 4 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1
and India
Immigrants 3 2 5 4 2 4 3 5 3 3 4 3 4 2 4 5 1
Other 3 3 3 1 4 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1
None of these 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
Don’t know 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 2 3 1

38

THE ENEMY IS WITHIN: ECONOMIC ISSUES
ARE PARAMOUNT

39

2 IN 3 SAY THE ENEMY IS WITHIN
•  Those Americans with a college degree and those whose annual income exceeds
$75,000 are more likely than those without a degree or those respondents with
less than $75,000 to think that major threats originate within the U.S.

Do the greatest threats to long-term stability in the United States come primarily from
within the United States or do they come from outside the United States?

Within the U.S. Outside the U.S. Don't Know

66% 27% 7%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

Within the U.S. 66 69 63 62 70 65 64 62 68 66 62 76 62 75 68 55 59
Outside the U.S. 27 26 28 28 23 29 29 30 26 25 30 18 30 20 25 34 32
Don’t Know 7 5 10 10 7 6 7 7 6 8 7 6 8 5 7 11 9

40

ECONOMIC, NOT NATIONAL SECURITY,
CONCERNS PRESENT A GREATER THREAT
•  White Americans are more likely than African-Americans or Hispanics to view
economic concerns as a greater threat to the current stability of the U.S.


Economic National security
concerns present a concerns present a
greater threat to
75% 18%
greater threat to
the current stability the current stability
of the U.S. of the U.S.

Showing All

Political College
All
Economic concerns
present a greater threat to
75 76 75 72 77 77 73 74 81 73 73 84 72 84 80 63 67
the current stability of the
U.S.
National security concerns
present a greater threat to
18 18 17 20 16 16 20 19 14 19 19 11 20 12 14 26 25
the current stability of the
U.S.
Don’t Know 7 6 8 8 7 6 7 7 4 9 7 5 8 4 6 11 8
41

INTERNAL THREATS VERSUS EXTERNAL
THREATS
Please indicate whether each of the following presents a major threat, minor threat, or no threat at
all to long-term stability in the United States.

Internal Threat External Threat
Rising national debt 78%
High government spending 77%
The budget deficit 75%
Rising healthcare costs 73%
Weakening U.S. Dollar 72%
America's education system falling behind 71%
American jobs being sent overseas 71%
Spread of nuclear weapons 67%
America's dependence on foreign energy 66%
Al Qaeda 58%
Lack of high-paying jobs 56%
Domestic terrorists 56%
Decline of moral values 55%
Taliban 53%
Partisan politics 49%
Rise of new powers like China and India 45%
Illegal immigrants 44%
Government of Iran 44%
Government of North Korea 39% Showing % Major threat
Hezbollah 27%
Hamas 27% 42

YOUNG AMERICANS LESS LIKELY TO VIEW AL
QAEDA AND THE TALIBAN AS MAJOR THREATS
Please indicate whether each of Political College
the following presents a major Gender Age Income Race
Affiliation Degree
threat, minor threat, or no threat
at all to long-term stability in the All
United States. M F 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ D R I <$75k >$75k No Yes White AA Hisp
Showing % Major threat
Rising national debt 78 77 78 71 75 81 83 68 89 77 77 80 77 79 84 60 66
High government spending 77 73 80 69 77 77 84 68 88 75 78 73 78 73 80 61 73
The budget deficit 75 75 75 66 76 78 80 69 84 73 75 77 75 75 79 59 69
Rising healthcare costs 73 69 76 64 75 75 76 78 71 70 73 71 71 76 74 68 67
Weakening U.S. dollar 72 70 75 60 72 78 74 70 77 71 73 70 74 70 75 65 66
American jobs being sent overseas 71 71 72 54 71 80 76 77 72 67 72 70 73 69 76 67 59
America’s education system falling
71 70 73 68 74 73 71 74 69 71 69 76 70 76 72 70 72
behind
Spread of nuclear weapons 67 65 68 63 65 71 67 67 70 64 69 61 69 62 66 68 68
America’s dependence on foreign oil 66 65 67 56 68 72 65 66 72 62 65 69 64 72 70 55 55
Al Qaeda 58 53 63 43 56 64 70 61 68 50 60 57 58 59 61 51 57
Lack of high-paying jobs 56 54 59 50 58 61 51 61 54 55 59 50 59 50 57 56 56
Domestic terrorists in the United
56 49 63 49 57 60 57 56 63 52 59 48 59 51 57 60 54
States
Decline in moral values 55 52 58 47 58 57 60 46 67 55 58 48 58 49 58 52 47
Taliban 53 47 59 39 52 59 60 54 62 45 55 49 55 47 54 54 52
Partisan politics and political gridlock 49 50 48 32 47 55 60 49 52 45 48 52 47 53 53 42 33
Rise of new global powers like China
45 40 49 36 45 50 44 40 52 42 45 44 45 43 45 45 42
and India
Illegal immigrants 44 45 42 29 39 49 60 35 57 41 47 36 48 36 49 35 18
Government of Iran 44 44 45 28 43 51 55 41 53 41 46 41 45 42 47 38 45
Government of North Korea 39 40 38 27 37 47 41 38 51 31 40 39 40 37 39 37 39
Hezbollah 27 33 21 17 25 32 35 23 36 22 27 28 26 28 29 22 23
Hamas 27 29 26 15 25 33 37 22 37 25 28 26 27 29 30 20 23
43

60% SAY THE COUNTRY IS ADDRESSING
EXTERNAL THREATS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT
EFFECTIVELY
How effectively are we, as a country, addressing the threats that are
OUTSIDE our control?

Very effectively Somewhat effectively Not very effectively Not at all effectively

13% 47% 21% 8%

Showing All

College
Attainment
All

EFFECTIVELY
60 60 61 65 61 61 52 64 56 60 61 58 61 59 57 69 68
(TOTAL)
Very effectively 13 15 11 16 14 13 8 16 8 14 14 10 15 9 9 24 21
Somewhat effectively 47 45 50 49 47 48 44 48 48 46 47 48 46 50 48 45 47
NOT EFFECTIVELY
29 33 27 23 28 30 40 26 36 28 29 33 27 34 33 18 23
(TOTAL)
Not very effectively 21 23 20 17 19 21 31 19 25 20 20 25 19 26 24 12 17
Not at all effectively 8 10 7 6 9 9 9 7 11 8 9 8 8 8 9 6 6
Don’t know 10 8 12 12 11 10 7 10 8 11 10 8 12 7 10 13 9
44

THE MAJOR THREATS ARE WITHIN OUR
CONTROL AS A COUNTRY
•  African-Americans and Hispanics are the two sub-groups most likely to say
that the threats affecting the long-term stability are mostly outside the
country’s control

The threats The threats
affecting the long- affecting the long-
term stability of the
term stability of the 71% 20% U.S. are mostly
U.S. are mostly
WITHIN our control OUTSIDE our
as a country. control as a
Showing All country.

Political College
All
The threats affecting the
long-term stability of the
71 72 70 66 75 71 68 69 76 68 67 82 66 81 75 61 60
U.S. are mostly WITHIN
our control as a country.
The threats affecting the
long-term stability of the
20 20 19 24 17 19 21 22 17 20 22 13 22 15 16 26 28
U.S. are mostly OUTSIDE
our control as a country.
Don’t Know 9 8 11 9 8 10 11 9 7 12 11 4 12 5 9 13 12
45

ONLY 10% THINK THAT INTERNAL THREATS
ARE BEING ADDRESSED VERY EFFECTIVELY
•  53% of respondents think that the country is not effectively addressing the
threats that are within its control

How effectively are we, as a country, addressing the threats that are
WITHIN our control?

Very effectively Somewhat effectively Not very effectively Not at all effectively

10% 32% 36% 17%

Showing All

How effectively are we, as a Political College
country, addressing the threats Affiliation Attainment
that are WITHIN our control? All

EFFECTIVELY (TOTAL) 42 39 43 46 41 41 36 54 33 39 44 36 45 35 36 61 51
Very effectively 10 10 9 10 10 9 9 14 6 9 11 6 12 5 7 23 12
Somewhat effectively 32 29 34 36 31 32 27 40 27 30 33 30 33 30 29 38 39
NOT EFFECTIVELY (TOTAL) 53 56 49 45 54 53 60 40 64 53 50 62 48 63 59 30 39
Not very effectively 36 35 36 34 36 34 41 31 43 34 35 40 33 42 39 23 28
Not at all effectively 17 21 13 11 18 19 19 9 21 19 15 22 15 21 20 7 11
Don’t know 6 4 7 9 5 5 4 6 3 8 6 2 8 2 4 9 11
46

INTERNAL THREATS THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED MORE EFFECTIVELY
•  The economy, jobs, government spending, budget deficit, national debt,
immigration, healthcare, and education are the primary threats within our
control that Americans do not feel are being addressed effectively
IF NOT EFFECTIVELY (N=1,040): What specific threats that are WITHIN our
control, are not being addressed effectively? OPEN-END

47

MAJORITY THINKS THE COUNTRY IS
GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right
direction or in the wrong direction?

Right direction Wrong direction Don't know

28% 62% 10%

Showing All

Political College
All

Right direction 28 28 29 34 32 25 21 48 10 26 28 30 28 29 21 55 36
Wrong direction 62 63 60 53 58 66 69 41 84 61 62 63 61 62 71 31 50
Don’t Know 10 9 11 12 10 9 10 11 6 13 10 7 11 9 9 13 15

48

Time aspen ideas festival 2011 full report

Time aspen ideas festival 2011 full report

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