Public reaction
edit| Poll results | |||||||
| Organization | # polled | Margin of error | Date polled | # who disapproved (do not support) |
# who approved (support) |
News release good? | |
| Washington Post[1] | 502 | +/- 5% | May 11 | 35% / 34%1 | 63% / 66%2 | 56%3 | |
| Newsweek[2] | 1007 | . | May 11-12 | 53% / 57%4 | 41% / 35%5 | ||
| USA Today/Gallup[1] | 809 | +/- 4% | May 12-13 | 51% | 43% | . | |
1 35% do not support the program, 34% were bothered by the idea of the NSA having a record of their calls
2 63% of the American public supports the program, 66% were not bothered by the idea of the NSA having a record of their calls
3 56% thought it was right for the knowledge of the program to be released while 42% thought it was not.
4 53% The NSA's surveillance program goes too far in invading privacy, 57% In light of the NSA data-mining news and other executive actions the Bush-Cheney Administration has “gone too far in expanding presidential power"
5 35% think the Administration’s actions were appropriate, 41% The NSA's surveillance program is a tool to "combat terrorism"
These results were later considered inaccurate by further polls on the subject.[3]
- ^ a b "Washington Post-ABC News Poll". Washington Post-ABC News. Retrieved 2006-05-12. May 12, 2006 Cite error: The named reference "poll3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "Newsweek".
- ^ "UPDATE: Early 'Wash Post' Poll on NSA Phone Spying Refuted". editorandpublisher.com.