Poll: Majority Now Believe Gov't Threatens Freedom
For the first time since 1995, when Pew Research Center began asking the question, a majority of Americans believe that the federal government threatens their personal freedoms and rights.
Fifty-three percent of respondents answered, "yes," while 43 percent answered, "no," when asked if the "federal government threatens your personal rights and freedoms." The Jan. 9-13 Pew Research Center poll of 1,502 adults has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
Before this month's poll, the previous highs were in June 2000, and March 2010, when 46 and 47 percent, respectively, thought government posed a threat to freedom. The lowest levels of concern for federal government infringement on personal liberty were in November 2001, and August 2002, when 30 and 32 percent, respectively, were concerned about loss of freedom from the federal government....