Terrorism Worries Little Changed After Paris Terror Attacks, Study Says

Two terror attacks by Muslim extremists in Paris last week have not increased Americans' anxiety about potential threats on U.S. soil, a Pew Research study released Monday indicates. Twenty-five percent of those polled after the deadly shootings were very worried about public terrorism occurring “soon.” That number is 3 points less than when polls were taken right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington and the following month.

The poll of 1,504 adults conducted Jan. 7-11 also indicated 39 percent are somewhat worried and 36 percent are not too worried or not at all worried.

When it comes to paying attention to the Paris terror attacks, 29 percent said they watched the news very closely in separate survey conducted Jan. 8-11. The results are similar to those following other European attacks, like the 2004 Madrid train bombings.

The Jan. 7-11 poll indicated 49 percent said the government had not done enough to protect the country against terrorism while 37 percent said the policies the government put in place are restricting civil liberties, even as people become increasingly concerned with the threat of the Islamic State group or ISIS. That number has risen 2 points since a September survey taken after the Edward Snowden National Security Agency leaks.

When it comes to torturing suspected terrorists for information, people’s opinions have not changed much since 2011. In the most recent study, 20 percent said using torture is often justified, 31 percent responded it was sometimes justified, 20 percent said rarely and 27 percent said it was never justified.

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella