Greatest Threat to U.S. (November 2015)

Greatest Threat to U.S. (November 2015)

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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized.
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categorycolumn-1
Unfriendly nations8%
Foreign terrorist groups18%
Illegal immigration22%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure10%
Polarization / Partisan conflict12%
Climate change5%
Computer network vulnerabilities2%
Racial tensions6%
Gun violence / Mass shootings9%
Other6%
Don't know / no opinion3%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Measurement of Party ID for this figure is based on two questions. First, respondents were asked whether they consider themselves to be a Democrats, Republicans, independents, other, or not sure. Those who responded that they are independents or "other" were then asked if they lean toward either the Democrats or Republicans. If they indicated that they lean toward one party or the other, they are considered Democrats or Republicans for the purposes of this figure. Only "pure" independents or members of a third party who indicate that they have no preference for Democrats vis-a-vis Republicans are considered independents. Respondents who answered that they are "not sure" for either of the two aforementioned questions are not incorporated into this figure.
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categoryDemocratIndependentRepublican
Unfriendly nations8%7%9%
Foreign terrorist groups14%20%21%
Illegal immigration6%19%36%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure11%8%10%
Polarization / Partisan conflict17%12%7%
Climate change10%5%1%
Computer network vulnerabilities2%1%3%
Racial tensions8%5%5%
Gun violence / Mass shootings17%7%2%
Other3%15%5%
Don't know / no opinion4%1%2%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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categoryLean RepublicanNot very strong RepublicanStrong Republican
Unfriendly nations5%9%11%
Foreign terrorist groups21%15%25%
Illegal immigration43%29%36%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure6%15%9%
Polarization / Partisan conflict9%7%7%
Climate change1%3%0%
Computer network vulnerabilities4%2%2%
Racial tensions3%9%3%
Gun violence / Mass shootings1%4%1%
Other7%2%4%
Don't know / no opinion0%6%1%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Party identification is calculated according to the PID7 variable, a seven point scale of party identification.
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categoryLean DemocratNot very strong DemocratStrong Democrat
Unfriendly nations4%8%9%
Foreign terrorist groups11%18%13%
Illegal immigration2%11%4%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure6%18%9%
Polarization / Partisan conflict29%8%18%
Climate change18%5%9%
Computer network vulnerabilities4%1%3%
Racial tensions14%5%8%
Gun violence / Mass shootings6%16%23%
Other5%4%2%
Don't know / no opinion1%7%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Ideology is measured on a scale of 1-7, with 1 corresponding to "extremely liberal", 7 corresponding to "extremely conservative, and 4 corresponding to "in the middle." For the purposes of this table, respondents who placed themselves at or between points 1 and 3 on the scale are considered "liberal," respondents who placed themselves at point 4 on the scale are considered "moderate," and respondents who placed themselves at or between points 5 and 7 on the scale are considered conservative.
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categoryLiberalsModeratesConservatives
Unfriendly nations5%9%8%
Foreign terrorist groups7%22%21%
Illegal immigration4%15%34%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure12%9%9%
Polarization / Partisan conflict24%10%8%
Climate change15%5%1%
Computer network vulnerabilities2%1%3%
Racial tensions9%6%4%
Gun violence / Mass shootings14%14%2%
Other5%4%7%
Don't know / no opinion3%4%2%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. The ideology measure is based on respondent self-placement in response to the following question: "On a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 is extremely liberal, 7 is extremely conservative, and 4 is exactly in the middle, where would you place yourself?" The placements are further classified such that 1 is extremely liberal, 2 is very liberal, 3 is somewhat liberal, 4 is moderate, 5 is somewhat conservative, 6 is very conservative, and 7 is extremely conservative.
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categoryLeaning conservativeSomewhat conservativeExtremely conservative
Unfriendly nations7%9%9%
Foreign terrorist groups21%19%24%
Illegal immigration22%36%41%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure15%6%9%
Polarization / Partisan conflict9%10%5%
Climate change1%0%0%
Computer network vulnerabilities5%2%2%
Racial tensions6%4%3%
Gun violence / Mass shootings0%4%2%
Other8%8%5%
Don't know / no opinion5%1%1%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. The ideology measure is based on respondent self-placement in response to the following question: "On a scale from 1 to 7, where 1 is extremely liberal, 7 is extremely conservative, and 4 is exactly in the middle, where would you place yourself?" The placements are further classified such that 1 is extremely liberal, 2 is very liberal, 3 is somewhat liberal, 4 is moderate, 5 is somewhat conservative, 6 is very conservative, and 7 is extremely conservative.
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categoryLeaning liberalSomewhat liberalExtremely liberal
Unfriendly nations4%8%2%
Foreign terrorist groups8%9%3%
Illegal immigration7%2%3%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure15%12%8%
Polarization / Partisan conflict32%20%23%
Climate change3%18%21%
Computer network vulnerabilities5%1%0%
Racial tensions10%9%10%
Gun violence / Mass shootings9%14%19%
Other7%3%7%
Don't know / no opinion1%4%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Tea Party identification is based on the following question, also asked in the survey: "Suppose the Tea Party movement organized itself as a political party. When thinking about the next election for Congress, would you vote for the Republican candidate from your district, the Democratic candidate from your district, or the Tea Party candidate from your district?" Those who responded "Republican candidate" are considered Republicans (non-Tea Party movement) and those who responded "Tea Party candidate" are considered Tea Party Republicans.
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categoryDemocratRepublicanTea Party
Unfriendly nations8%8%9%
Foreign terrorist groups13%26%16%
Illegal immigration4%28%50%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure11%14%5%
Polarization / Partisan conflict20%8%5%
Climate change10%1%1%
Computer network vulnerabilities2%3%3%
Racial tensions8%7%0%
Gun violence / Mass shootings17%2%0%
Other3%3%10%
Don't know / no opinion3%1%0%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Race is calculated according to the race variable.
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categoryWhiteBlackHispanic
Unfriendly nations6%11%10%
Foreign terrorist groups17%22%22%
Illegal immigration27%7%17%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure11%4%11%
Polarization / Partisan conflict13%9%8%
Climate change4%0%9%
Computer network vulnerabilities3%2%1%
Racial tensions4%13%6%
Gun violence / Mass shootings5%25%9%
Other7%5%3%
Don't know / no opinion3%3%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Gender is calculated according to the GENDER variable.
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categoryMaleFemale
Unfriendly nations8%8%
Foreign terrorist groups14%22%
Illegal immigration26%18%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure10%9%
Polarization / Partisan conflict14%10%
Climate change5%5%
Computer network vulnerabilities3%2%
Racial tensions6%6%
Gun violence / Mass shootings6%11%
Other8%4%
Don't know / no opinion1%5%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Community is based on the following question, "Would you say that you live in an urban, suburban, or rural community?"
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categoryUrbanSuburbanRural
Unfriendly nations9%6%11%
Foreign terrorist groups17%19%17%
Illegal immigration14%24%26%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure8%11%10%
Polarization / Partisan conflict16%11%8%
Climate change6%5%2%
Computer network vulnerabilities2%3%1%
Racial tensions5%6%6%
Gun violence / Mass shootings13%8%6%
Other4%5%9%
Don't know / no opinion5%2%3%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Age is calculated according to the AGEG variable.
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category18-2930-4445-6465+
Unfriendly nations12%9%5%9%
Foreign terrorist groups20%13%19%22%
Illegal immigration8%13%28%31%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure6%13%9%10%
Polarization / Partisan conflict7%15%13%11%
Climate change10%5%4%3%
Computer network vulnerabilities4%3%1%1%
Racial tensions11%7%5%3%
Gun violence / Mass shootings16%8%8%6%
Other4%10%6%2%
Don't know / no opinion3%5%2%1%
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    Respondents were asked, "Which of the following poses the greatest threat to the United States?" Response options were randomized. Education is calculated according to the EDUC variable.
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categoryNo high schoolHigh school graduateSome college2-year4-yearPost-grad
Unfriendly nations4%10%8%6%11%4%
Foreign terrorist groups27%24%19%17%10%10%
Illegal immigration25%23%20%18%22%22%
Decaying U.S. infrastructure9%7%11%9%12%11%
Polarization / Partisan conflict9%4%11%13%19%21%
Climate change7%3%5%4%6%6%
Computer network vulnerabilities0%1%4%4%1%4%
Racial tensions4%6%7%7%6%3%
Gun violence / Mass shootings8%12%7%14%6%4%
Other2%5%5%7%6%12%
Don't know / no opinion5%5%3%1%1%2%

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