The past five years have forced Americans to consider the tension between national security concerns and individual liberties in a new era of technology and against a new type of security threat. Through all the legal and political twists and turns, it appears that the public is generally comfortable with the current balance between these competing priorities.

Today, the latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 33% of American adults say that our legal system worries too much about individual rights at the expense of national security. A slightly smaller number of adults (24%) say there is too much concern for national security at the expense of individual liberties. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say that the current balance is about right.

These results come at a time when 41% of Americans believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the War on Terror and the nation is evenly divided as to whether the war in Iraq is part of the larger War on Terror.

Republicans, by a 4-to-1 margin, believe our system is too concerned about individual liberties. Democrats, by a 33% to 24% margin, say that we are too concerned about national security.

Overall, the numbers are very similar to where they were at the beginning of the year. A January Rasmussen Reports poll found that 32% thought our legal system was too concerned about individual liberties and 29% thought it was too concerned about national security.

When it comes to questions about the balance between security and liberty, 45% of Americans now trust Democrats in Congress more than President Bush. Thirty-nine percent (39%) trust the President more. In January poll, those numbers were 44% and 42% respectively.

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