{"id":49535,"date":"2013-02-11T16:04:33","date_gmt":"2013-02-11T21:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2013\/02\/11\/continued-support-for-u-s-drone-strikes\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:10:36","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:10:36","slug":"continued-support-for-u-s-drone-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2013\/02\/11\/continued-support-for-u-s-drone-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Continued Support for U.S. Drone Strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h2>\n\n

While U.S. drone strikes have faced new scrutiny in recent weeks, a majority of the public continues to support the program. Overall, 56% approve of the U.S. conducting missile strikes <\/p>\n\n

\"2-11-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

from pilotless aircraft to target extremists in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia; just 26% say they disapprove.<\/p>\n\n

Opinion is largely unchanged from last July, when 55% approved of the program. Support for drone attacks crosses party lines: 68% of Republicans and 58% of Democrats say they approve of U.S. drone strikes.<\/p>\n\n

There also are stark gender differences in opinions about the use of drones: Men approve of drone strikes by more than three-to-one (68% to 21%). Among women, 44% approve, while 31% disapprove.<\/p>\n\n

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Feb. 7-10 among 1,004 adults, finds that while drone strikes draw <\/p>\n\n

\"2-11-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

continued support, there is widespread concern that the attacks endanger innocent civilians.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, 53% say they are very concerned about whether drone strikes put the lives of civilians in danger. Even among those who approve of the program, 42% say they are very concerned the attacks risk lives of innocent civilians.<\/p>\n\n

Other possible consequences from drone attacks spur less public concern: 32% are very concerned they could lead to retaliation from extremist groups, 31% are very concerned the attacks are being conducted legally and 26% worry they could damage America\u2019s reputation around the world.<\/p>\n\n

Democrats, Independents More Concerned about Civilian Casualties<\/h3>\n\n

Democrats are much more likely than Republicans to express concern over whether drone attacks endanger civilian lives. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Democrats and 53% of <\/p>\n\n

\"2-11-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

independents say they are very concerned about whether U.S. drone strikes endanger the lives of innocent civilians, compared with just 37% of Republicans.<\/p>\n\n

The partisan gaps are smaller in concerns over other possible consequences from drone attacks. For each, fewer than half of Democrats \u2013 and even smaller percentages of Republicans \u2013express a great deal of concern.<\/p>\n\n

Among those who approve of U.S. drone strikes, 42% say they are very concerned about whether the attacks endanger the lives of <\/p>\n\n

\"2-11-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

innocent civilians. No more than a quarter of drone supporters say they are very concerned about the three other possible consequences tested.<\/p>\n\n

Among those who disapprove of U.S. drone attacks, nearly eight-in-ten (79%) are very concerned about possible civilians casualties; About half say they are very concerned over whether the attacks are being conducted legally (52%), whether they could lead to retaliation from extremist groups (52%), and whether they could damage America\u2019s reputation around the world (49%).<\/p>\n\n

Gender Gap over Drone Strikes<\/h3>\n\n
\"2-11-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Women are much less supportive of U.S. drone strikes than are men and they express far greater concern over the possibility of civilian casualties. Overall, 44% of women approve of the U.S. conducting missile strikes from pilotless aircraft, 31% disapprove while 25% offer no opinion. By contrast, men support drone strikes by more than three-to-one (68%-21%).<\/p>\n\n

Six-in-ten women (60%) say they are very concerned about whether drone strikes endanger the lives of innocent civilians compared with 46% of men. Less than half of women say they are very concerned about other possible consequences, though they offer somewhat more concern on these issues than do men.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While U.S. drone strikes have faced new scrutiny in recent weeks, a majority of the public continues to support the program. Overall, 56% approve of the U.S. conducting missile strikes from pilotless aircraft to target extremists in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia; just 26% say they disapprove. Opinion is largely unchanged from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sub_headline":"Civilian Casualties a Concern, Even Among Supporters","sub_title":"Civilian Casualties a Concern, Even Among 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