The Roper Poll

Many Wonder What Government Really Knows About Other Intelligent
LifeGovernment Has More Information Than It is Sharing with Public...More than half (55 percent) of all adults say that the government does not share enough information with the public. Younger Americans are more apt to believe this; a clear difference of opinion exists between the 18-to-49-year-olds and those 50 or older.
Individuals with an interest and belief in — not to mention personal experience with — extraterrestrial or UFO encounters feel that the government has more information than it is sharing.

Most Americans (53 percent) say that their level of trust in the U.S. government has remained stable over the past five years. Three in ten (29 percent) claim they trust the government less than they did five years ago....Particularly With Respect to Extraterrestrial Life and UFOsMore than two-thirds of Americans say that the government is not telling the public everything it knows about UFO activity (72 percent) or extraterrestrial life (68 percent).The younger the adult, the more likely he/she is to believe that the government is withholding information about UFOs or other intelligent life.

Not surprisingly, those who believe and take an interest in extraterrestrial life and UFO activity are significantly more inclined to believe that the government does not share everything it knows about these topics.

Government Should Be Sharing This Information with PublicSix in ten adults believe that information regarding UFO sightings (60 percent) and extraterrestrial life (58 percent) should be declassified if national security is not at risk. Another one in ten says it depends upon the situation.Opinions vary depending on sex and age. Males are significantly more inclined to say that such information should not be kept classified, whereas females are more likely than males to claim they don't know or it depends on the situation.With respect to age, adults 65 or older are significantly less inclined to believe that information regarding UFOs and extraterrestrial life should be shared with the public. Compared to its younger counterparts, this group is more likely to decline a set opinion on the topic.

Adults who consider themselves at least somewhat psychologically prepared for the discovery of extraterrestrial life are significantly more inclined to believe that government information regarding this and UFO sightings should not be kept secret from the public. This same opinion is shared by believers of extraterrestrial life as well as those who are very interested in encountering such life forms themselves.