Partisanship determines what Americans believe about crime

Polling data released this week shows that Americans ' views on nationwide crime rates have improved.

Frida Ghitis : But it's less likely that partisanship is skewing the data in a more accurate direction than usual.

She says the last year in which fewer than 60 percent of respondents said crime had risen over the previous year , was 2004 , when 53 percent said it had risen.

Ghitis says partisanship seems to play the biggest role in the decline.