Why the government's snooping is here to stay

Despite all the headlines, a new poll shows Americans are fine with the government spying on them

The bottom line: Most Americans are comfortable with the NSA's snooping.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Mario Tama)

President Obama and his administration have faced tough questions over the past week, following the publication of leaked classified information that exposed new details about the scope and size of controversial intelligence-gathering practices carried out by the National Security Agency and the FBI.

Yet despite those revelations, a Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll released Monday suggested that the White House has little reason to fear a public backlash: A comfortable majority of Americans approves of the government's spying efforts. Furthermore, the survey indicated that public opinion on the issue has remained virtually unchanged over the years, even as new details about those efforts have emerged.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.