Americans stay patriotic but doubt the country lives up to its ideals

A new National Collaborative for Health Equity poll released July 27 found Americans remain attached to freedom, fairness and opportunity, even as many say the nation is failing to deliver those values in daily life. The survey shows sharp concern about democracy, affordability and division as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.

Why it matters: - The poll suggests Americans still believe in the country’s founding ideals, but many are losing confidence that the nation is delivering them. - That gap matters because it touches democracy, economic security, racial trust and whether people feel they belong. - The findings arrive as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, adding urgency to questions about national identity and renewal.

What happened: - The National Collaborative for Health Equity released the 4th Annual Heart of America Survey on July 27, 2026. - The survey found 62% of Americans say they are proud to be American, down from 72% in 2025. - Only 36% say the country is living up to its ideals of freedom, fairness and equal opportunity. - The survey was conducted online from May 28 to June 3, 2026, with 1,322 Americans ages 18 and older. - The margin of error was plus or minus 2.70 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

The details: - The survey found 89% support the idea that every eligible American should have the right to vote and a voice in the future. - Belief that voting access can help racial healing rose to 92%, up from 85% in 2024. - Only 11% say current voting maps help communities be fairly represented. - Slightly more than half, 52%, say the American Dream is out of reach. - Majorities say they feel squeezed by grocery costs, 81%; wages, 75%; health care, 72%; and housing, 71%. - Elder care, at 53%, now ranks above childcare, at 44%, as a source of family pressure. - Respondents named political divisiveness, 52%; racism, 49%; and poverty or lack of a livable income, 47% as the biggest barriers to unity. - The clearest path to racial trust, according to respondents, is making sure everyone has a fair chance and fair treatment, 34%. - Support for teaching the full history of America, including slavery and racism, stands at 92%. - The share saying educating children about race and racism is important to healing rose to 86% from 79% in 2024. - Support for reparations is 56%, up from 46% in 2023. - Eighty-five percent say Americans are hungry to belong, connect and trust each other again, up from 78% in 2023. - Fifty-nine percent believe people like them can personally help promote unity and racial healing. - Open-ended responses showed sharply different moods, including “I think we're in peril,” “The vibe of America is great,” and “Turbulent division growing.”

Between the lines: - The results point to what NCHE leaders described as “ambivalent patriotism”: attachment to America without confidence in how the country performs. - Americans appear to separate national identity from national performance, judging institutions and daily life more harshly than the ideal of America itself. - The survey also suggests that shared civic language around freedom, opportunity and democracy still exists, even if people do not share the same lived experience of those ideals. - The findings indicate a public that is frustrated, but not disengaged.

What's next: - The survey’s authors say the country’s path forward depends on turning broad agreement about ideals into real-world fairness, representation and trust. - NCHE says Americans are naming both what divides them and the work required to become “whole.” - The survey’s 250th-anniversary framing suggests the next debate will be whether the country can match its founding promise with daily experience.

The bottom line: - Americans still believe in the American idea. - What they doubt is whether the country is living up to it.