CBS NEWS POLL

For release: Monday, November 15, 2010

6:30 PM EDT

Americans Support Full-Body Scanners at Airports

November 7-10, 2010

Americans have differing views on two potentially inconvenient and invasive practices at airports
that could be used to uncover potential terrorist attacks. Americans overwhelmingly approve of
the use of full-body digital x-ray machines, a device being used at some airports in the U.S.,
while most do not think racial or ethnic profiling is justified -- a practice not in place at airports.

Although some civil rights groups allege that they represent an unconstitutional invasion of
privacy, Americans overwhelmingly agree that airports should use “full-body” digital x-ray
machines to electronically screen passengers in airport security lines. Eight in 10 Americans
think airports should use these new machines, including a majority of both men and women,
Americans of all age groups, and Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.

Should Airports Use Full-Body X-Ray Machines?

Yes 81%
No 15

Most Americans do not think it would be justified for people of certain racial or ethnic groups to
be subject to additional security checks at airport checkpoints. 52% say no, while 37% say it
would be justified. Feelings on this may be sensitive to news about terror threats. Back in
January 2010 - after a failed Christmas Day attempt by a Nigerian citizen to detonate explosives
hidden in his underwear on a flight to Detroit – a slight majority of Americans thought ethnic
profiling was justified. In 2006, shortly after British authorities unveiled a potential terror plot
using liquid explosives, 49% of Americans supported ethnic profiling at airports.

Is Ethnic Profiling at Airports Justified?

Now 1/2010 8/2006
Yes 37% 51% 49%
No 52 38 46

Some groups of Americans see this issue differently. Republicans are divided on this issue,
while Americans over 65 and those who think a terrorist attack within the next few months is
very likely are more apt to think ethnic and racial profiling is justified than not.
_________________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,137 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone
November 7-10, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and
cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus
three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards
of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
CBS News Poll
Airport Screening
November 7-10, 2010

q31 Do you think it would be justified or not justified for people of certain racial or
ethnic groups to be subject to additional security checks at airport checkpoints?

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
*** Party ID ***
Total Rep Dem Ind Jan10a
% % % % %
Justified 37 46 26 40 51
Not justified 52 45 64 47 38
Depends (Vol.) 5 3 3 8 6
Don't know/No answer 6 6 7 5 5

q32 Some airports are now using "full-body" digital x-ray machines to electronically
screen passengers in airport security lines. Do you think these new x-ray machines
should or should not be used at airports?

Should 81 83 81 78
Should not 15 12 15 17
DK/NA 4 5 4 5

Sample sizes:

UNWEIGHTED WEIGHTED
Total Respondents 1137

Total Republicans 318 290 (26%)

Total Democrats 369 385 (34%)
Total Independents 450 462 (40%)