Americans Still Believe in America’s Role in Global Progress
A decline in national pride. “Doomerism” within Gen Z. The death of American exceptionalism.
Wherever you look, it is easy to find a pessimistic perspective about the future of America. But the American spirit is still very much alive.
Despite growing political polarization and isolationist rhetoric, the latest research reveals that Americans haven’t lost faith in their nation as a force for good in the world. This widespread belief offers a foundation that can unite Americans in continuing to be a driver of human progress. (Yes, it is still possible.)
The Human Flourishing Lab’s most recent Progress Pulse survey, conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll among a nationally representative sample of over 2,000 U.S. adults, reveals that most Americans share positive views about their nation’s contributions to human advancement. Three-quarters or more of respondents agree that America’s global leadership (75%), cultural emphasis on optimism and possibility (76%), and business achievements (78%) have been crucial for advancing positive change around the world. Moreover, 84% believe American scientific research has been essential for global progress.
Critically, this isn’t merely a backward-looking sentiment about past accomplishments. Nostalgia is a key driver of positive, forward-looking sentiments too. Nearly eight in 10 Americans (79%) agree that, going forward, their nation’s contributions will remain vital for positive change around the world.
Even more encouraging is the consistency of such beliefs across demographic groups. Every subgroup we measured shows majority belief in America’s beneficial global impact. We are not as divided along racial or gender lines as “experts” often claim.
Still, there are important discrepancies. First, college graduates are more positive about America’s contributions than those without degrees across all areas measured. This finding is noteworthy given declining trust in higher education and growing concerns about ideological bias and limited viewpoint diversity among university professors. Whatever happens on campus, it doesn’t appear to diminish graduates’ appreciation for America’s positive global impact.
To sustain our national consensus, we cannot overlook the cracks within young America. Older Americans demonstrate strong belief in America’s global contributions, with those 65 and older reaching 84% support for leadership, culture, and business, and 92% for science. However, Americans ages 18-24 show notably lower support, ranging from 59% for leadership to 73% for scientific research. Though younger Americans still show majority support, maintaining widespread optimism about America’s role in human progress will require intentional efforts to engage, educate, and inspire younger generations.
Political differences also emerged in our data. Republicans express stronger agreement with statements about American global leadership (83% versus 74% for Democrats), culture (83% versus 76%), business achievements (85% versus 78%), and future contributions (88% versus 75%). Republicans are often associated with isolationism today, but the vast majority of Republicans actually believe strongly in America’s role in advancing global progress. Both parties converge at 87% agreement on the importance of American scientific research for global progress.
In this era of polarization and national self-criticism, we have an important reminder that most Americans – across political and demographic lines – still believe that their nation has played a vital role in improving the world, and will continue to do so in the future. While we might be divided on certain issues, there is still shared confidence in America and a healthy dose of national pride when you actually crunch the numbers.
Based on past research, Americans agree that they personally have the power and responsibility to improve the world. These dual beliefs in both personal and national capacity for positive impact cultivate the kind of agentic mindset essential for human progress. When people believe they and their nation have meaningful roles to play in addressing global challenges, they become more motivated, resilient, creative, and collaborative, making them more likely to engage constructively with the world than to retreat from it.
Americans are losing faith in institutions, each other, and their nation to an extent, and these are indeed troubling trends in public sentiment, but they don’t tell the complete story. Don’t let the doomerism get to you.