Americans worry – about the continued possibility of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, the seriousness of illegal immigration, potential nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran, and about the economy (though not quite so much as they used to).
In the latest Economist/YouGov Poll, less than a third say the country is more safe from a terrorist attack than it was in 2001, and while Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to see the country as safer than before, they are just as worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack in the next 12 months as Democrats are.
In fact, there is little partisan difference in those put the odds as greater than one in ten that there will be a major attack in the coming year.
Many people are conflicted on how to prevent an attack. By 45% to 28%, Americans think it is possible to extract useful information from torture, but they are divided on whether or not they support its use. Republicans are in favor, Democrats are opposed.