Americans on the impact of 9/11

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A quarter century later, the impact of the attacks and the events that followed that dark day continue to resonate widely with the American public.

Below are five charts on how Americans feel about the impact the 9/11 attacks had on the nation.

1. Wide ranging impact. A large majority of Americans feel that the attacks had a significant impact on the nation, and the world as a whole.

2. United in the aftermath. Looking back, Americans largely say that the U.S. was united as a society following the attacks. One visible piece of evidence of the country’s unity is in President George W. Bush’s approval ratings at the time, which saw a “rally ‘round the flag” boost that no president in crisis has been able to replicate since.

3. Mixed views on the impact of the government response. A majority of Americans say the government’s response to the 9/11 attacks were effective in preventing attacks on Americans on American soil. However, Americans are less certain about the impact it had on reducing the number of terrorist groups around the world or reducing the number of countries that are willing to host or support terrorist groups.

4. Skeptical of “forever wars.” Three in five (61%) Americans say they would support a military response like the response that followed the September 11th terrorist attacks if a major terrorist attack were to occur today. But Americans take a more skeptical view of the two wars that followed 9/11, including the War in Iraq, which lasted nearly a decade, and the War in Afghanistan, which lasted two. These views are similar to views of the current war in Iran. The polling paints a picture of a public that is wary of foreign conflicts with uncertain end dates.

5. Fading from memory but forever etched in history. The vast majority of adults alive during 9/11 say they can recall where they were when they heard about the attacks and say the attacks impacted the U.S. in a significant way. The latter part holds true for Gen Z, even if they weren’t alive or old enough to remember 9/11.

Gradually, the percent of Americans who have experienced the transition from a pre-9/11 America to post-9/11 America will decline. Among Gen Z, less than one in ten remember where they were on 9/11. Among Gen Alpha, that number is zero. But the polling shows that, even if the nation’s youth wasn’t around on 9/11, they acknowledge that their world lives in its shadow.