Less than half of Americans think the U.S. government is doing a “good job” protecting the liberties mentioned in the Constitution such as freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms, according to a recent poll.
In an Associated Press-NORC poll published Friday, 45% of respondents said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting freedom of speech, as outlined in the First Amendment. Additionally, just 35% said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting the right to keep and bear arms, as outlined in the Second Amendment.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,729 adults via interviews and was conducted between Aug. 12-16. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.
Respondents surveyed were notably less likely to approve of the government’s job at protecting privacy. Among those polled, just 26% said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting the right to privacy. Additionally, just 31% said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, as outlined in the Fourth Amendment.
A minority of respondents were also less likely to approve of the government’s job at protecting other constitutional liberties. Just 44% said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting the right to trial by jury and freedom of the press. Additionally, just 27% approved the government’s job of protecting the right of everyone to equal protection under the law. (RELATED: 69% Of Americans Say Things Are Going Badly, According To Poll)
Most Americans do not think the government is doing a good job protecting many of the country’s rights and freedoms. https://t.co/QgcYJDpVB5 pic.twitter.com/VJCuibORxY
— AP-NORC Center (@APNORC) September 10, 2021
AP-NORC polling data on Americans’ views on rights and freedoms began in 2011, and the responses indicate perceptions of the government’s job at protecting liberties have become considerably more negative over the past decade.
In 2011, 71% of respondents said the government is doing a “good job” at protecting freedom of speech and 57% said the same of the right to keep and bear arms.