Majority of Americans Say Iraq War Has Negatively Affected Country

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- As the third anniversary of the start of the Iraq war approaches this weekend, a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds Americans are substantially more likely to say the war has had a negative rather than positive impact on both the United States and their own personal lives.

At least half of Americans say that, since the war began, they have prayed for those affected by the war, displayed a yellow ribbon to support the troops, or cried over something related to the war; only a small minority of Americans have protested, either in support of or in opposition to the war, or have attended a funeral for someone killed in Iraq. Most Americans report personally knowing someone who has served in the U.S. military in Iraq since the war started, but only one in eight know someone who served and was wounded or killed there.

Impact of the War on Life in the United States

According to the March 10-12 survey, 58% of Americans believe the war in Iraq has had a negative effect on life in the United States generally; just 21% say it has had a positive effect. Soon after the war began in 2003, Gallup found almost the opposite results, with 52% saying it had had a positive effect on life in the United States and 18% saying it had had a negative effect. In the two other times this question was asked, October 2003 and January 2004, the public was divided as to whether the war was having a positive or a negative effect on the country.

When asked how the war in Iraq has affected their personal lives, Americans are nearly three times more likely to say it has had a negative (39%) rather than a positive (14%) effect. However, the plurality of Americans, 45%, say it has not had much effect.

In April 2003, Americans were more likely to say the war had had a positive effect (37%) on their lives than to say it had had a negative effect (16%). In October 2003 and January 2004, Americans were more divided on the impact of the war. In each of the four polls, though, at least a plurality of Americans have said the war has not had much effect on them.

On both of these measures, the results vary considerably by party identification.

• Seventy-one percent of Democrats (including independents leaning to the Democratic Party) say the war has had a negative effect on the country, while 14% say it has had a positive effect and 12% say it has not had much effect. Republicans (including Republican-leaning independents) are more divided in their responses -- 39% say it has had a negative effect, 31% say positive effect and 27% say not much effect.

• A slight majority of Democrats, 52%, say the war has negatively affected their personal lives; 8% say it has had a positive effect, while 39% say it has not had much effect. Fifty-three percent of Republicans say the war has not had much impact on their lives, with the rest divided as to whether the war has positively (24%) or negatively (22%) affected them.

War Activities at Home

The poll also assessed what war-related activities Americans have participated in since the war began. Eighty-seven percent report that they have prayed for those affected by the war since it began. Roughly half say they have displayed a yellow ribbon on their car or property to show support for the troops, and about the same number have cried because of something related to the war.

Fewer than half of Americans say they have sent letters, e-mails, or care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq (43%), or have voted for or against a political candidate because of their own views on the war (36%).

Few Americans report having attended a funeral or memorial service for Americans who died in Iraq (17%), or that they have publicly opposed (13%) or supported (11%) the war by participating in a demonstration or writing to a public official.

Republicans and Democrats differ somewhat in the activities in which they have participated since the war began.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they have done the following activities: displayed a yellow ribbon to support the troops (60% vs. 45%); sent letters or care packages to troops in Iraq (51% vs. 37%); prayed for those affected by the war (94% vs. 82%); and publicly supported the war (16% vs. 8%). Democrats are more inclined to say they have publicly opposed the war (20% vs. 5%) and have voted for or against a political candidate because of their own views on the war (43% vs. 31%). The groups are about equally likely to say they have attended a funeral for someone killed in Iraq or have cried over something related to the war.

Men and women also vary in their responses to this question, with women more likely than men to say they cried due to something related to the war; sent letters, e-mails, or care packages to troops in Iraq; prayed for those affected by the war; or displayed a yellow ribbon to support the troops. Men are just slightly more likely than women to say they attended a funeral for someone killed in Iraq.

Military Service in Iraq

The poll also asked Americans if they have "close friends, family members, or coworkers" who have served in Iraq in the U.S. military since the war began. More than half of Americans (58%) report knowing someone who served in Iraq, including 12% who say that person was wounded or killed in Iraq and 46% who say that person has not been harmed. Forty-two percent of Americans say they do not know someone who has served in Iraq.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,001 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted March 10-12, 2006. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

For results based on the 518 national adults in the Form A half-sample and 483 national adults in the Form B half-sample, the maximum margins of sampling error are ±5 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

22. Has the U.S. involvement in the war against Iraq had a positive or negative effect on you personally, or hasn't it had much effect on you?

BASED ON 518 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

Trend for Comparison: Los Angeles Times Poll: Has the U.S. involvement in the war against Iraq had a positive, a negative effect on you personally or hasn't it had much effect on you?

23. Do you think that U.S. involvement in the war against Iraq has had a positive effect on life in the United States generally, a negative effect on life in the United States, or hasn't it had much effect on life in the United States generally?

BASED ON 483 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

Trends for Comparison: Los Angeles Times Poll: Do you think that U.S. involvement in the war against Iraq has had a positive effect on life in the United States generally, a negative effect on life in the United States, or hasn't it had much effect on life in the United States generally?

24. In your opinion, is Iraq -- [ROTATED: much better off, somewhat better off, somewhat worse off, (or) much worse off] -- than before the U.S. and British invasion?

BASED ON 518 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A

25. In your opinion, in the long run, will Iraq be -- [ROTATED: much better off, somewhat better off, somewhat worse off, (or) much worse off] -- than before the U.S. and British invasion?

BASED ON 483 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

26. Since the war in Iraq began in 2003, have you, personally, done any of the following, or not? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

27. Do you, personally, have any close friends, family members, or coworkers who have served in Iraq in the U.S. military since the war began, or not?

28. Were any of them wounded or killed while serving in Iraq?

BASED ON 570 ADULTS WHO KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED IN IRAQ

COMBINED RESPONSES (Q.27-28): BASED ON NATIONAL ADULTS