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Terror warnings boost presidential approval ratings
SYRACUSE, N.Y. Pundits have long professed that the president's approval rating jumps every time a terror warning is issued. Now a new study from Cornell University confirms it.
Robb Willer of Cornell's Sociology and Small Groups Laboratory says the study found that President Bush's approval rating rose an average of 2-point-75 points after terror warnings were issued.
Rogan Kersh, a professor of American politics and elections at Syracuse University, said it's no surprise that there's a rally-round-the-president effect when the nation is alarmed.
Kersh said most politicians probably use that to their advantage. But he said the danger is that it turns into a "cry wolf" effect.
Willer took up his study in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks after watching Bush's approval rating soar from 51 percent on September 10th to 86 percent five days later.
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