Around the country today, many will take a moment to remember the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. For children in New York — most of whom weren’t yet born when terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center buildings — a new law allows their public schools to provide a moment of silence for students to reflect upon the September 11 attacks.
On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to establish September 11th Remembrance Day. The new law allows for a brief moment of silence in public schools across the state at the beginning of the school day every September 11th.
New YouGov data finds that 45 percent of Americans believe public schools should be legally required to hold a moment of silence to observe the anniversary of 9/11.
Republicans (72%) are more likely than independents (44%) and Democrats (34%) to say schools should be legally required to have a moment of silence. Americans who live in the northeast (51%) are more likely than their counterparts in the south (44%), the west (43%) and the midwest (42%) to say public schools should be required to do this.
About four in 10 (39%) say that public schools should not be required to do this. Half (50%) of Democrats share this belief.
Americans are more conflicted about the idea of making 9/11 into a federal holiday. A 2018 YouGov poll found that 39 percent of Americans believed September 11 should be a federal holiday, while 38 disagreed.
Republicans (46%) were more likely than Democrats (39%) and independents (34%) to say that it should be considered a federal holiday. About four in 10 independents (41%) and Democrats (40%) disagreed, as did 36% of Republicans.
YouGov also asked Americans about the global impact of 9/11.
In a poll conducted about one year ago, a majority (60%) of Americans said that the terror attacks on September 11 made a bigger worldwide impact than the 2008 financial crisis. About one-quarter (26%) said the financial crisis made a larger impact.
Across political parties, majorities said 9/11 made a bigger global impact, though Republicans (76%) were especially likely to say this. Democrats (31%) and independents (28%) were about twice as likely as Republicans (15%) to say the 2008 financial crash made a larger impact on the world.
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