This is a telephone survey of adults nationwide conducted by Zogby International. The target sample is 1,200 interviews with approximately 81 questions asked. Samples are randomly drawn from telephone cd’s of national listed sample. Zogby International surveys employ sampling strategies in which selection probabilities are proportional to population size within area codes and exchanges. As many as six calls are made to reach a sampled phone number. Cooperation rates are calculated using one of AAPOR’s approved methodologies and are comparable to other professional public-opinion surveys conducted using similar sampling strategies. Weighting by region, party, age, race, religion, and gender is used to adjust for non-response. The margin of error is +/- 2.9 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

Zogby International’s sampling and weighting procedures also have been validated through its political polling: more than 95% of the firm’s polls have come within 1% of actual election-day outcomes.

See COOP4 (p.38) in Standard Definitions: Final Dispositions of Case Codes and Outcome Rates of Surveys. The American Association for Public Opinion Research, (2000).

Cooperation Tracking Study: April 2003 Update, Jane M. Sheppard and Shelly Haas. The Council for Marketing & Opinion Research (CMOR). Cincinnati, Ohio (2003).

Narrative Summary

People are completely divided on whether they believe President Bush exploited the 9/11 attacks (44%) or justified an attack on Iraq (44%). Approximately one in ten (11%) is not sure.

The largest majorities who feel that Bush exploited Sept. 11th attacks are Democrats (69%), Hispanics (59%), and Jews (64%). Close to half or more of 18-29 year-olds, single adults, African Americans, and residents of the Central/Great Lakes, West, and large cities agree.

The largest majorities who feel that Bush justified an attack on Iraq are Republicans (72%) and residents of rural areas (59%). Approximately half of whites, 30-64 year-olds, Protestants, suburbanites, and married adults agree.

Men and women are both evenly divided.

Close to half (48%) agrees the U.S. government and 9/11 Commission are not covering up anything, yet nearly as many (42%) believe the government and 9/11 Commission are covering up. One in ten (10%) is unsure.

Both men and women and residents in each of the four regions are more likely to say the U.S. government and 9/11 Commission are not covering up anything. Majorities who agree include Republicans (64%), 50-64 year-olds, married adults, suburbanites (59%), Protestants, those with at least some college education, and people with annual household income of $50,000 or more (57%).

Majorities (50%-56%) of Democrats, 18-29 year-olds, Hispanics, single adults and those who are divorced/widowed/separated, residents of small cities, and adults with less education than a high school diploma believe the government and 9/11 Commission are covering up something. Nearly half of independent voters (48%) agree.

A plurality (43%) is not aware of World Trade Center Building 7's collapse. Nearly as many (38%), though, are aware of it and think the Commission should have investigated it. People are least likely to be aware of the building’s collapse and think the Commission was right to investigate just the Twin Towers' collapse (14%).

Pluralities in many sub-groups are not aware of World Trade Center Building 7's collapse. This includes Republicans and independents, adults 30 and older, whites, residents of the East and Central/Great Lakes regions, and women.

Majorities of Hispanics (56%) and 18-29 year-olds (52%) and pluralities of Democrats and Southerners are those most likely to be aware of World Trade Center Building 7's collapse and think the Commission should have investigated it.

 Republicans (21%), college graduates (20%), people with household income of $75,000 or more (22%), and men (17%) are among the most likely to be aware of the building’s collapse and think the Commission was right to investigate just the Twin Towers' collapse.

People are again closely divided, this time with a slight plurality (47%) saying the attacks were thoroughly investigated, while 45% feel the attacks should be reinvestigated. Nearly one in ten (8%) are not sure.

Republicans (70%) and people with annual household income of $75,000 or more (64%) are the most likely to say the attacks were thoroughly investigated. Other majorities who agree include up to 58% of whites, 50-64 year-olds, residents of the East and West, college graduates and those with some college education, and people with annual household income of $50,000-$74,999.

Majorities in several sub-groups feel the attacks should be reinvestigated. The most likely are Hispanics (67%) and African Americans (64%). Other majorities include up to 57% of Democrats and independents, 18-49 year-olds, residents of the Central/Great Lakes, high school graduates and those with less education. Between 56%-61% of people with household income less than $25,000 agree.

Men are more likely to agree attacks were thoroughly investigated (51% to 42%), while women are more likely to say the attacks should be reinvestigated (48% to 43%).

A majority of adults (55%) rates the media’s performance as negative, including an overall plurality (36%) who rates it as "fair." In comparison, 43% give the media’s performance positive ratings, with most of these coming as "good" (33%).

Majorities in a few sub-groups give the media positive ratings. These include 50%-58% of African Americans, residents of small cities, divorced/widowed/separated adults, Progressives, those with less than a high school diploma, and people with household income less than $15,000 and $25,000-$34,999.

In all remaining sub-groups, majorities rate the media’s performance as negative. This includes approximately three-fifths of Republicans, conservatives, Hispanics, residents of the West, married adults, college graduates and those with some college education, and people with household income of $35,000-$74,999. People whose political ideology is Libertarian (74%) and very conservative (67%) are the most likely to give negative ratings.