The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

The Intersection of Insight and Journalism

Reflections on 9.11 - A 10-Year Retrospective Study of Civil Liberties and National Security

Introducing the Center

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taps into the power of social science research and the highest quality journalism to bring key information to people across the nation and throughout the world.

  • The Associated Press is the world’s essential news organization, bringing fast, unbiased news to all media platforms and formats.
  • NORC at the University of Chicago is one of the oldest and most respected, objective social science research institutions in the world.

The two organizations have established the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct, analyze, and distribute social science research in the public interest on newsworthy topics, and to use the power of journalism to tell the stories that research reveals.


The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research will focus on issue areas in which there is a potential for social impact, including education, health care, race, unemployment, and poverty. The Center provides the greatest possible public awareness of the research results through the unparalleled, combined distribution channels of the Associated Press and NORC.

The Center also:
  • Tracks selected social, political, and cultural trends over time.
  • Explores the relationships among public opinion research and ongoing public policy discussions.
  • Brings together subject-matter experts from AP and NORC—and leading experts from other institutions—to collaborate on research projects.
  • Conducts methodological research that will advance the field of public opinion research.
  • Creates an education program about public opinion polling to help journalists and the public make judgments about the quality of the survey research they read in the media.
  • Sponsors conferences, seminars, and other public forums where experts from AP and NORC at the University of Chicago, and other institutions, can discuss and debate important issues.

Our work is sponsored by philanthropic foundations and other individuals and organizations interested in supporting impartial, high-quality research.

Any projects done through the new Center maintain both AP’s reputation for unbiased journalism and NORC’s reputation for scientific integrity.

Download our press release to read more about the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

For more information, contact info@apnorc.org

Civil Liberties and Security: 10 years After 9/11

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were a defining moment for a generation, and the decade that followed saw significant changes in government that had a direct impact on the lives of millions of Americans. In this nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 Americans, the AP-NORC Center explores public opinion about national security and the rights that define the American way of life, and tries to determine where people draw the line between civil liberties and security. The survey also looks back at the impact of the events of 9/11 and on how it has affected the way Americans live their lives today.

About The Associated Press
The Associated Press ("AP") is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world’s information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.

About NORC
NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago with additional offices on the University of Chicago's campus and in Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, Maryland. NORC also supports a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations. With clients throughout the world, NORC collaborates with government agencies, foundations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and businesses to provide the data and analysis that supports informed decision making in key areas including health, education, economics, crime, justice, energy, security, and the environment. NORC’s 70 years of leadership and experience in data collection, analysis, and dissemination—coupled with deep subject-matter expertise—provides the foundation for effective solutions.

Photo Credit
The "Tribute in Light," a tribute to the victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, lights up the sky above lower Manhattan in this view from the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, March 11, 2002. The two light beams were a temporary memorial that lit up every evening until April 13, 2002. (AP Photo/Daniel P. Derella)