In post-Snowden era, NSA maintains surprisingly favorable image

A poll from Pew Research Center suggests that, so far at least, National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden's release of information on NSA programs has had a limited effect on how the agency is viewed by the American public.

It found that 51 percent of Americans view the NSA favorably -- down from 54 percent in fall 2013 -- while 37 percent have unfavorable views of the agency. The NSA isn't exactly popular. The only federal agency less popular among Americans was the Internal Revenue Service, which was viewed favorably by only 45 percent of Americans. Perhaps surprisingly, younger Americans have a more favorable view of the NSA than older ones. Among adults under the age of 30, 61 percent view the NSA favorably. That drops to 55 percent among Americans 30-49 years old and to 40 percent for Americans over 65.