KAET-ASU Poll

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 17, 2001

CONTACT:
Dr. Bruce Merrill 480-965-7051

KAET POLL:
STRONG SUPPORT FOR MILITARY ACTION IN AFGHANISTAN; ARIZONANS FEAR MORE TERRORISM
BUT ARE CONFIDENT ABOUT AMERICA'S RECOVERY;
ARIZONANS ARE SPENDING THEIR TAX REBATES

According to a new KAET Poll, Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Arizona's registered voters support the military actions the United States is taking in Afghanistan.

The telephone survey of 636 registered voters living in Arizona was conducted between October 11 and October 14, 2001 by KAET-TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of the people surveyed feel more terrorist attacks against the United States are either likely (41%) or very likely (50%) within the next year. Forty-four percent (44%) think terrorist attacks in Arizona are either likely (36%) or very likely (8%). As for future attacks on U.S. soil, seventy-seven percent (77%) are either extremely (3%), very (26%) or moderately confident (48%) America will be able to prevent major acts of terrorism from happening in the future.

Arizonans remain optimistic about America's prospects for rebounding from the attacks. Ninety-one percent (91%) were either extremely (21%), very (46%) or moderately confident (24%) that the American way of life will be preserved. Ninety-three percent feel the American economy will be prosperous in the long run. A majority (59%) is not confident that the United States will be able to defeat every terrorist organization around the world.

A "Confidence in America's Recovery Scale" created by combining how people felt about all four of these measures of confidence, showed forty-four percent (44%) of those polled were very confident, (44%) moderately confident, and twelve percent (12%) not very confident that America will recover from the terrorist attacks.

The poll also found that ninety-four percent (94%) of Arizona voters have followed media coverage of the attacks either closely (38%) or very closely (56%). A majority (58%) think the amount of coverage has been about right, while thirty-seven percent (37%) believe there has been too much media coverage. Television coverage of the attacks, both national and local, received favorable ratings. Eighty-nine percent (89%) rated national television coverage as either excellent (35%) or good (54%). Seventy-five percent rated local television coverage as either excellent (19%) or good (56%).

Finally, those surveyed were asked how they used their federal tax rebates. About two-thirds (68%) of those interviewed reported getting tax rebates. Forty-seven percent (47%) of those who got a rebate spent all or part of it, thirty-six percent (36%) saved all or part of it, thirty-five percent (35%) used all or part of it to pay off debts and nine percent (9%) invested the money.

This KAET Poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9%. Forty-five percent (45%) of those interviewed were Republican, thirty-eight percent (38%) Democrat and seventeen percent Independent or "others". Fifty-seven percent (57%) live in Maricopa County, sixteen percent (16%) in Pima County and twenty-seven percent (27%) in counties other than Maricopa and Pima.

Q1: Do you favor or opposed the United States taking direct military action in Afghanistan?

Q2: Thinking of the next year or so, do you think more terrorist attacks against the United States are very likely, likely or not very likely?

Q3: How about here in Arizona…During the next year or so, do you think more terrorist attacks against the United States are very likely, likely, or not very likely?

Q4: How confident are you that the United States will be able to prevent major acts of terrorism from occurring in the U.S. in the future?

Q5: How confident are you that every global terrorist organization will be defeated?

Q6: How confident are you that the American way of life will be preserved?

Q7: How confident are you that the U.S. economy will be prosperous in the long run?

Q8: As you probably know, as part of the President's tax package, most tax payers have received a tax rebate this year. Did you receive a tax rebate from the federal government?

Q9a: Did you save all or part of your tax rebate?

Q9b: Did you spend all or part of your tax rebate?

Q9c: Did you invest all or part of your tax rebate?

Q9d: Did you pay-off debts with all or part of your tax rebate?

Q10: Would you say that you have been following media coverage of the attacks very closely, closely or not very closely?

Q11: Do you feel there has been too much media coverage of the terrorist attacks, about the right amount of coverage or not enough coverage?

Q12: How well do you think the national television news networks have covered the terrorist attacks? Do you think their coverage has been:

Q13: How well do you think local television stations have covered the terrorist attacks? Do you think their coverage has been:

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