The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans' feeling of unease over the future of representative government, particularly among young people. Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, while 44% say it is one of the greatest countries alongside some others. About three in ten say there are better countries than the United States, an increase from 19% in a comparable AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016.

The polling data arrives as communities around the country prepare to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary. The survey of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a probability-based sample designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

What the Right Is Saying

Republicans and conservative voices emphasized continued pride in American exceptionalism and opportunity. Quintin Sharpe, 28, a financial planner in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin who identifies as Republican, said the American Dream remains accessible and expressed optimism about the country's trajectory. "It's been a great experiment," he said of the nation's founding principles. "The opportunity is there for those who want to work for it."

Sharpe believes the country operates as "a meritocracy, and the best ideas, the best work ethic, those with the best succeed regardless of race, skin color, any of those factors." He and his wife planned to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary watching fireworks over the lake.

Kent Stage, 62, a retired Army senior enlisted man and registered Republican in Indiana, said he does not think the current political system addresses the country's problems. He would like to see term limits on politicians and more working-class people serving in office. "I'll trust the ambulance-chasing lawyer and a shady used car salesman before I trust the politician," Stage said.

What the Left Is Saying

Democrats and progressive voices in the poll pointed to systemic failures as driving skepticism about American democracy. Derricka Wall, 24, of Chickasaw, Alabama said politicians have damaged America's governing system, which was designed to ensure representation and guard against government misuse. "America is not what it used to be," she said. "I feel like our founding fathers would be kind of disappointed with how it is now."

Progressive commentators have noted that declining trust in democratic institutions correlates with growing wealth inequality and perceptions that the political system serves elite interests over ordinary citizens. Many Democratic-aligned respondents expressed concerns about whether elected officials represent average Americans rather than wealthy donors and corporate interests.

The poll found that skepticism about the American Dream is more widespread among Democrats and independents than Republicans. About 17% of Democrats say the American Dream still holds true, compared with roughly one-quarter of independents and 57% of Republicans. Jack Hermanson, a 27-year-old software developer in Denver, said his belief in the American Dream changed when he saw his engineer husband struggle to find a job despite qualifications. "That really shattered my impression that if you work hard, you get what you deserve," he said.

What the Numbers Show

The survey documents significant shifts in how Americans view their democracy's importance to national identity over recent years. About two-thirds of U.S. adults, or 67%, now say a democratically elected government is "extremely" or "very" important to the United States' identity as a nation, down from 80% in 2021.

The generational divide on democratic centrality is pronounced. Only about half of Americans under 30 believe democracy is a key element of U.S. identity, compared with 81% of those age 60 and older. Similarly, 44% of adults under 30 say there are better countries than the United States, compared with 22% of those ages 60 and older.

On national exceptionalism, about half of Republicans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world. Only 7% of Democrats share that view. On the American Dream specifically, only 22% of Americans under 30 say it still holds true, compared with 46% of those ages 60 and older.

On questions of cultural identity, 56% of U.S. adults say a shared American culture and set of values are "extremely" or "very" important to the country's identity, down from 65% in 2017. About four in ten Republicans see the mixing of cultures and values from around the world as central to national identity, compared with 76% of Democrats.

The Bottom Line

The poll data suggests that Americans are increasingly uncertain about democratic institutions' centrality to national identity, with younger adults leading that shift. These findings present a complex backdrop for the nation's approaching 250th anniversary celebrations, reflecting both pride in American ideals and skepticism about whether those ideals are being realized.

Political observers will watch whether these trends continue in future polling and how elected officials respond to constituent concerns about democratic representation and economic opportunity. The generational divide on these questions suggests potential long-term shifts in political alignments as younger Americans become a larger share of the electorate.