As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, recent polling suggests a growing pessimism among Americans regarding the nation's democratic ideals and the accessibility of the American Dream.
A significant portion of respondents expressed concerns about the state of democracy, with the AP-NORC poll indicating a dip in the value placed on democratically elected governments. In an April survey, 66% of Americans agreed that a democratically elected government is "extremely important," a decrease from 76% in early 2024 and 80% in 2021.
Furthermore, nearly half of Americans believe freedom of speech is under "major threat," while 35% hold the same view for the right to vote, and 28% for freedom of religion, according to the same poll.
The concept of the "American Dream"—the notion that hard work leads to prosperity—is also seen as increasingly unattainable. Two-thirds of respondents in the AP-NORC poll disagreed that the American Dream currently holds true, a figure consistent with findings from previous years. Party affiliation played a notable role in these perceptions, with only 17% of surveyed Democrats believing in the American Dream's current validity compared to 57% of Republicans. Men were more likely than women to hold this belief, as were older adults compared to younger demographics. A 46% majority of adults aged 60 and older believed in the American Dream, compared to just 22% of those aged 18-29.