Pew Research Center for the People & the Press

Voters Focus on Domestic Issues, Despite Crises Abroad

August 17, 2006

The public is paying a great deal of attention to major overseas events -- the reported terrorist plot against U.S. trans-Atlantic jet liners, the war in Lebanon, as well as the ongoing violence in Iraq. However, there is little indication that these high-profile stories have materially changed public opinion on current issues.

Worries about another terrorist attack have not surged. The public continues to express high levels of support for Israel, even as a sizable minority views Israel as mostly responsible for the civilian casualties arising from the fighting. And while more Americans say the U.S. is losing ground in preventing a civil war in Iraq, basic attitudes about the conflict are largely unchanged.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Aug. 9-13 among 1,506 adults -- with nearly all interviews completed after news broke of the terrorist plot against jet liners -- finds:

• The recent series of momentous events have had little impact on views of President Bush, or attitudes about the congressional midterm election. Bush's job approval rating stands at 37%, virtually unchanged from July, while his personal image continues to be far less positive than it was about a year ago.
• There is no evidence that terrorism is weighing heavily on voters -- just 2% cite that as the issue they most want to hear candidates discuss, far fewer than the number mentioning education or gas prices.
• Roughly a third of Americans (35%) say they are very concerned that, if Democrats gain control of Congress, they will weaken terrorist defenses. But even more people (46%) express great concern that Republicans will involve the U.S. in too many overseas military missions if the GOP keeps its congressional majorities.
• A plurality of Americans feel that Israel's response to the conflict in Lebanon has been appropriate, although 21% think that Israel has been most responsible for the civilian casualties that have occurred. Only somewhat more (29%) place most of the blame for civilian casualties on Hezbollah.
• The question of withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq divides Republicans, not Democrats. About twice as many moderate and liberal Republicans as conservative Republicans favor bringing U.S. troops home as soon as possible (35% vs. 18%). By contrast, there is no ideological divide among Democrats. Majorities of both conservatives and liberals within the party support a troop withdrawal.

Read the full report at people-press.org