As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, a new national poll reveals a country gripped by pessimism about its future, with Americans reporting record-low pride in their nation and historic levels of distrust in nearly every major institution.
The NBC News survey, conducted from late May through early June and sponsored by More Perfect, a nonpartisan democracy advocacy group, captured responses from 3,000 adults. The findings paint a stark portrait of a nation at a crossroads: most Americans believe their country has deteriorated from its best days, yet pockets of agreement remain on shared values and a willingness to bridge political divides.
Just 33 percent of Americans now say they are extremely proud to be American, marking a historic low. Another 23 percent describe themselves as very proud, leaving 21 percent saying they feel only a little or not at all proud. This represents a dramatic collapse from 2017, when 82 percent reported being either extremely or very proud as Trump began his first term.
The shift mirrors a broader loss of confidence in the country's trajectory. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans across all regions and partisan leanings say the nation's best years lie behind it. Just 38 percent believe the country's strongest period is ahead, a gap that has widened considerably since 2021.
Institutions in Free Fall
The collapse in institutional trust reaches depths unseen in the modern polling era. For the first time in the survey's history, a majority, 52 percent, say they have very little or no confidence in the federal government. That figure stood at 34 percent in 2016, representing an 18-point plunge in eight years.
Congress fares even worse. Fifty-six percent now express little to no faith in the legislative branch, compared to 48 percent in 2019 and 39 percent in 2016. The national news media draws little confidence from 64 percent of adults, with only 11 percent expressing strong trust.
According to Bill McInturff, the Republican pollster who conducted the survey with Democratic counterpart Jeff Horwitt, seven of nine institutions tested hit record lows for public confidence. McInturff called the numbers "among the worst in the era of modern polling techniques."
Even the military, which retains the most public support of any institution surveyed, has suffered a pronounced erosion. Sixty percent report confidence in U.S. forces, but that represents a 13-point drop since December 2016. The 15 percent expressing little or no faith in the armed forces marks the highest level since a 1988 Gallup poll.
The high-tech industry saw its credibility crater, with 38 percent now expressing little or no confidence compared to just 14 percent a decade ago. Religious leaders also lost ground, with 43 percent now expressing little confidence, the highest since 2002.
The Supreme Court sits in the middle, with 31 percent expressing strong confidence, 28 percent saying they have some confidence and 40 percent voicing little or no faith.
Educational institutions, including colleges and public schools, retain somewhat more public backing than federal institutions, though with notable partisan fractures. Thirty-six percent express confidence in colleges, while 30 percent say the same of public schools.
The erosion reflects deep partisan divides. Conservatives have lost faith in the news media, colleges and public schools, while liberals express skepticism toward the federal government, Congress, the Supreme Court and the military.
Perhaps most telling, 78 percent of Americans believe the American Dream is now harder to achieve than it was for their parents' generation, up 9 points from 2016. Only 5 percent say it is easier to grasp.
The institutional collapse follows years of populist backlash across both parties, from Donald Trump and JD Vance on the right to Bernie Sanders and other progressive figures on the left, all capitalizing on public anger over endless wars, the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic.
When asked directly about the Constitution's durability, the country splits nearly down the middle. Half say the Constitution has withstood the test of time and can handle future challenges. The other half divides between those wanting a thorough revision and those believing it is completely outmoded. That breakdown echoes sentiments from the nation's bicentennial 50 years ago.
On the question of whether stronger presidential leadership is needed, Americans are evenly split, 48-48 percent, between those who want it and those who fear the concentration of power, a concern rooted in memories of Watergate.
Yet the survey contains surprising glimmers of possibility. A majority, 54 percent, believe more unites Americans than divides them, arguing that people share core values but disagree on policies. McInturff noted that across the survey a clear desire emerged for Americans to work together, even when they strongly disagree politically. Most also acknowledge that the country has achieved the founders' goals at least to a fair degree, with 70 percent saying the U.S. has done a great deal or fair amount living up to those ideals.
The Democratic pollster Horwitt, reflecting on Benjamin Franklin's observation about the rising sun on George Washington's chair at the Constitutional Convention, suggested Franklin might see it differently today. "Franklin might take a more nuanced look at that chair and agree with its citizens who assess the sun as setting on its institutions, but rising among its citizens," Horwitt said.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The scale of institutional mistrust is stunning, but Americans telling pollsters they still share common values despite everything suggests the country hasn't fully given up on itself yet."
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