COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - December 13, 2010) - 57.8% of Americans agree (somewhat/very much) that WikiLeaks is a threat to U.S. national security compared to 13.3% who disagree, according to the latest American Pulse™ Survey of 5,015 respondents. 32% say it should be designated as a terrorist organization and 42.8% believe that the Obama administration hasn't done enough regarding their release of confidential cables. (11.7% say it has and 45.5% aren't sure.)
42.3% consider WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to be a criminal (versus 18.8% who say he's a journalist). And 61.8% think he should not be designated as a "Person of the Year;" as they don't believe people should be rewarded for jeopardizing American lives. On the other hand, 12.7% say he should for making government transparent.
When it comes to online security, 80.4% believe people are putting too much personal information on the Internet. Further, 63.9% say that if the FTC's "do not track" proposal for consumers is enacted that they would opt out and not want to be tracked online by marketers. 14.7% would not because they don't mind since advertisements are displayed based on their preferences; 21.4% are unsure.
Complimentary report: http://www.formsite.com/prosper/ampulse121310/
Regarding holiday shopping, 56.1% of Americans (who participate) say they are staying on budget, 33.7% are under and 10.2% are over. But if gas prices keep increasing, budgets could be cut.
42.1% say that current pump prices are affecting their holiday shopping plans (48% say they are not). For those who say they are, spending less overall tops the list of coping mechanisms.
Top 5 Effects of Gas Prices on Holiday Spending (Of those affected)
| Spending less overall | 86.7% |
| Traveling less/ not at all | 52.2% |
| Shopping for sales more | 51.7% |
| Using coupons more | 47.7% |
| Using last year's decorations with no | 39.8% |
| plans to buy new ones |
Rising gas prices could also be contributing to Americans' apparent anxiety about the economy; 74.4% are somewhat/very concerned that it is going to slip back into a recession. But 48.2% say they would not be willing to give up government benefits to lower the national debt for future generations. 23.5% say they would (28.3% don't know).
American Pulse™
The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch® twice a month exclusively utilizing SSI's U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. 5,015 respondents participated in the 1st December American Pulse conducted 12/7-12/8/2010. Margin of error is +/- 1.4%. www.bigresearch.com
About Survey Sampling International (SSI)
Survey Sampling International (www.surveysampling.com) is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI reaches respondents in 72 countries via Internet, telephone and mobile/wireless. Client services include questionnaire design consultation, programming and hosting, and data processing. SSI serves more than 2,000 clients, including 48 of the top 50 research organizations. Founded in 1977, SSI has 17 offices in 15 countries.
Contact Information:
BIGresearch
Chrissy Wissinger
203-567-7230