I think most people are resigned to the existence of bureaucracies, despite such problems as rent-seeking, inefficiency, etc, as long as they meet a few basic criteria:
(1) they serve some reasonably obvious positive purpose
(2) the negative effects of what they do aren't too noxious, in particular when compared with (1)
The TSA, it would seem basically fails on both points. Despite the good intentions with which it was formed, it's pretty clear that they don't improve safety in any significant manner (you might find people some disagree about this, because they believe the security theater, but I think the number is dropping). The negative effects of their existence, of course, are legion, (I suspect it's quite hard to find anybody that disagrees on this point!).
So I'd suggest the public probably on average doesn't support the TSA to the same degree they might other bureaucracies, even those that they find annoying.
Unfortunately, of course, the public's opinion on the matter is of little importance once the system is in place...
(1) they serve some reasonably obvious positive purpose
(2) the negative effects of what they do aren't too noxious, in particular when compared with (1)
The TSA, it would seem basically fails on both points. Despite the good intentions with which it was formed, it's pretty clear that they don't improve safety in any significant manner (you might find people some disagree about this, because they believe the security theater, but I think the number is dropping). The negative effects of their existence, of course, are legion, (I suspect it's quite hard to find anybody that disagrees on this point!).
So I'd suggest the public probably on average doesn't support the TSA to the same degree they might other bureaucracies, even those that they find annoying.
Unfortunately, of course, the public's opinion on the matter is of little importance once the system is in place...