GMI World Poll finds that the world thinks America would be safer from terrorist attacks if Kerry wins November elections; Europe and Japan agree that terrorists need to be tried in an international court; Americans and Russians think terrorists should be hunted down and killed.
SEATTLE WA (PRWEB) October 6, 2004 -- While 54% of Americans think Bush would be better at keeping the United States safer from a terrorist attack, a new poll by independent market research firm GMI, Inc. reveals that the world disagrees (www.worldpoll.com).
The GMI World Poll survey, which samples 1,000 media-informed individuals in each of the worlds leading G8 economic nations*, found that 78% of global respondents think if Kerry wins the 2004 November elections, the United States will be less likely to experience another major terrorist attack. These results contrast the general opinion of the American public.
In the United States, Bush is popularly perceived as better able to make America safe from a terrorist attacking large part because the authority of the Presidency has been invoked since 9/11 to: one, cultivate fear of an imminent attack and two, cast the threat in vague terms so that the president was given a blank policy check to act as a strong leader," explains Donald Hellmann, Director of the Institute for International Policy at the University of
Washington. For obvious reasons, other countries do not see Bush in the same light," Hellmann continued.
Furthermore, when global respondents were asked how their governments should deal with terrorists, countries including France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom felt terrorists should be captured and tried in international court. Only America and Russia, both of which have experienced devastating terrorist attacks in the past years, thought otherwise: 62% of Russians and 34% of Americans felt terrorists should be hunted down and killed.
The hunt and kill approach to terrorists of the United States and Russia flows in part from their recent history as global superpowers that use war as an instrument of national policy. The other nations are smaller powers who lack this option and who, for a variety of reasons, accept multilateral institutions and international law as necessary features of the global system," concluded Hellmann.
Among U.S. respondents, 36% of Kerry supporters, 18% of Bush supporters, and 32% of undecided respondents felt terrorists should be tried at international court. Similarly, 24% of Kerry supporters, 40% of Bush supporters, and 30% of undecided respondents felt terrorists should be hunted down and killed.
Complete results of GMI World Poll surveys are available in their entirety at the following Web site: (www.worldpoll.com). Upon request, GMI will provide media with comprehensive World Poll survey results cross-tabulated by variables such as age, gender, geographic region, and where applicable, race and ethnicity.
*G8 nations are the world's major industrial democracies, including Canada, France, Germany, China, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
About GMI World Poll
GMI World Poll quickly and accurately gathers international opinions about topical issues and critical global events, with real-time results available in as little as 24 hours. GMI World Poll is the only survey that polls global opinions in real time, on-line, and with statistically accurate results. More information on GMI World Poll is available at http://worldpoll.com .
About GMI
GMI provides integrated e-Business solutions for market research. The companys advanced software, global panels, and service bureau capabilities are built around a deep competence in conducting multi-country research using a Net-centric approach to data collection. With operations on four continents, GMI is the partner of choice for conducting global market research at the speed of the Internet. More information on GMI is available at http://www.gmi-mr.com .
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