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America is getting ready to celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but a new survey suggests Americans feel the country’s founding fathers would not approve of our progress. The polling shows a wide range of beliefs about everything from who the greatest president was to the future of the nation.
America 250
As we approach this semiquincentennial anniversary, people were asked how it affected them. The 250th anniversary is more likely to “have little effect” according to 48% of those surveyed, 37% said they felt it would bring people together, and 15% said it would deepen the divisions in the nation. An example of the last sentiment can be seen as President Donald Trump tries to put together a celebration for the milestone, which he is now calling a Rally to End All Rallies, after several celebrities pulled out of concerts. When it comes to being “proud,” Republicans took the lead with 68%, whereas only 18% of Democrats and 32% of independents said the same.
The Elon University Poll surveyed 1,000 US adults between April 30 through May 4. Respondents answered a multitude of questions, and the majority (79%) agree the United States plays a uniquely important role in world history. Sixty-eight percent say they are proud to be American, however, 69% believe the founding fathers would feel more disappointment than pride about our modern democracy.
Part of the problem is that more than half of the respondents (52%) feel America is not living up to its founding ideals, and 73% rate the overall health of the country’s democracy as only “fair” or “poor.” According to the survey: “Only 36% are confident that U.S. political institutions will make mostly good decisions on major issues facing democracy, regardless of who holds office, over the next 50 years. Americans under age 30 tend to be the most confident in good future decisions.”
Both sides of the aisle have changed in recent years, with more members falling to the fringes. It’s no wonder that 40% of those surveyed “always/often” felt that there was no major political party or political movement that represents their views and that another 40% felt that way “sometimes.”
Anxiety over state of affairs has gripped a lot of Americans. We’ve been through a COVID pandemic, political violence, assassination attempts, financial instability, and a host of other events. Respondents were asked: “In the past five years, how often have you felt the U.S. is on the brink of a major crisis?” A quarter of poll takers (25%) said they felt that way daily, 15% weekly, 24% monthly, 26% once a year or less, and just 9% replied “never.” Thirty-nine percent of the people said things today are much more turbulent on average compared to other periods in the nation’s history.
Another sticky factor is how people felt about our elected officials. It would be uncommon to go a week or even a day without at least one media headline trying to demolish a lawmaker. Poll takers were asked to compare elected officials over the last ten years with those in the past, and only 8% said they were better. A whopping, but maybe not surprising, 68% said they were worse.
Looking at the Past
Barely a quarter of those surveyed felt the nation’s democracy today was healthy, so at what periods in history did they feel exemplified our goals and achievements? According to the poll, the Civil Rights movement ranked the highest with 16% choosing it, and World War II came second with 11%. Surprisingly, voting only received 4%, the writing of the Constitution just 5%, and the Civil War achieved 4%.
Throughout history there have been those who best exemplified American democracy’s highest ideals. Results from the survey put Abraham Lincoln at the top with 20%, followed by Barack Obama with 11%. The country’s first president, George Washington, tied with Martin Luther King Jr. and President Donald Trump at 9%. They were followed by John F. Kennedy at 6%, Ronald Reagan at 5%, and Franklin D. Roosevelt at 2%.
Who exemplified American democracy is not the same as who was the best president in US history. When asked this, respondents answered much in the same way. Twenty-six percent chose Abraham Lincoln, 17% picked Barack Obama, George Washington received 12%, Donald Trump 11%, FDR 10%, Ronald Reagan 9%, JFK 6%, and Theodore Roosevelt 2%. Thomas Jefferson and Bill Clinton tied for last place with just 1% each.
Now for some fun stuff. The respondants were asked to say whether they agreed or disagreed with a particular quote from a president. The kicker was, they weren’t told who said the quote. It’s interesting to compare who said the quotes with how the presidents ranked. For instance, Obama received the least percentage of people agreeing with his quote and George Washington, by far, had the most:
Presidential Quotes
“Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all.” - George Washington (78% agreed).
“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” - Abraham Lincoln (75% agreed)
“This is a republic of proud citizens who are united by our common conviction that America is the greatest nation in all of history.” - Donald Trump (56% agreed)
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy (68% agreed)
“Let each of us ask not what government will do for me, but what can I do for myself.” - Richard M. Nixon (61% agreed)
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt (68% agreed)
“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” - Ronald Reagan (57% agreed)
“We don’t think government can solve all our problems. But we don’t think that government is the source of all our problems.” - Barack Obama (51% agreed)
“Without God, there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower (53% agreed).
So, after all of this, is the American Dream still alive? Do people today feel that if they work hard they will generally succeed, regardless of what circumstances they were born into? Just 37% of respondents agreed, saying that sentiment was very and somewhat true. What does this mean for the future expectations of America? Polltakers were asked what they expected the country to look like in 2076. Sixty-eight percent felt the nation would be more politically divided, 51% felt America would be less influential globally, 55% expect a worse average standard of living, 59% said there would be less freedom for citizens, 54% predict less economic equality, 62% said there will be more polluted air and water, and 56% fear technology will create more harm than benefit.
As America prepares to mark 250 years of independence, the survey paints a picture of a nation caught between pride in its past and uncertainty about its future. Many Americans still believe the United States plays a unique role in the world and continue to admire the leaders and ideals that helped shape the country. At the same time, concerns about political division, declining trust in institutions, and the future of freedom and opportunity weigh heavily on people's minds. Perhaps the most telling result is that despite all the disagreements over politics, presidents, and policy, Americans still largely agree on the values expressed in many of the nation's most famous presidential quotes. Whether the country is living up to those ideals is a matter of debate, but as the 250th anniversary approaches, the survey suggests that many citizens are still searching for the same principles of liberty, self-government, and unity that inspired the nation's founding.
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