WASHINGTON -- Two years after the worst terror attack on the United States, a new poll finds that a majority of Americans do not feel safer because of the war on terrorism, worry that the Patriot Act is eroding civil liberties at home and believe that President Bush is too assertive in foreign affairs.

While there is still strong support for Bush's role in rallying the nation after Sept. 11, 2001, and for the war in Iraq, the poll finds that Americans are increasingly worried that the United States is "playing the role of world policeman in the Middle East more than it should be."

Conducted Aug. 26 through Sept. 3, the poll surveyed 1,217 Americans and was sponsored by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes, or PIPA, and funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Ford Foundation. The poll's margin for error was plus or minus 3 to 4 percentage points, depending upon whether a question was asked of the entire sample group or to three-quarters or half of them.

According to the poll, only one in four Americans said they feel safer because of the war on terrorism, partly because of the perception that criticism of U.S. foreign policy is growing in the Islamic world. Only 47 percent think they understand what the perpetrators of 9/11 hoped to achieve. But only one in four said they worry "a great deal" about another terror attack. Another 48 percent said they are "somewhat" worried.

PIPA Director Steven Kull said Bush's handling of terrorism is seen as a modest boost for his re-election prospects. Forty-one percent said it would make them more likely to vote for Bush, compared with 26 percent who said it would make it less likely to vote for him next year.

Nonetheless, almost six in 10 people surveyed said the Bush administration was overemphasizing "assertive" and military approaches, and they favored more emphasis on diplomatic and economic methods. Fifty-four percent said they think the Bush administration has not been deft in working with other countries to contain terrorism, but 35 percent supported even more emphasis on military action.

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed said the Islamic world is growing more hostile to U.S. foreign policy. A surprising 73 percent said they think the majority of people in Islamic countries share many of al-Qaida's anti-American beliefs, although 57 percent said most Muslims oppose al-Qaida's methods.

Seventy-seven percent said distrust of U.S. motives creates "a climate in which it is easier for terrorist groups to recruit new members and raise funds." About 60 percent said most people in Islamic countries think U.S. policies in the Middle East make the region less stable. Eight in 10 said a key lesson of 9/11 is that the United States should work more closely with other countries to fight terrorism. When the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations polled on roughly the same question in June 2002, only 61 percent sought a multilateral foreign policy.

As Attorney General John Ashcroft barnstorms the country seeking to bolster public support for strengthening the government's power under the Patriot Act, there is increasing nervousness about whether such legislation infringes on civil rights. Fifty-two percent of people responding to the PIPA survey said the country "has gone too far" in compromising civil rights, a significant increase from a year ago.

Only 28 percent said they agree with Ashcroft that the government needs more power to monitor and detain individuals, although 79 percent said they want more extensive checks on foreigners and goods entering the United States. Seven in 10 urged "increasing airport security."