Libertarian mood in GOP wanes as Mideast concern rises

Just a little more than a year ago, 47% of Americans said they were more concerned that government anti-terrorism policies had gone “too far in restricting the average person’s civil liberties” compared with 35% who said they were more concerned those policies “have not gone far enough to adequately protect the country.” A second Pew poll later in the fall found a similar result.

Now, however, only 35% say they are concerned that anti-terrorism policies have gone “too far” and 50% say their greater worry is that the policies will not go “far enough.”

The Pew survey, conducted Sept. 2-9, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.