Fewer Americans say democracy is central to country's identity, AP poll finds

By — Gary Fields, Associated Press Gary Fields, Associated Press By — Linley Sanders, Associated Press Linley Sanders, Associated Press By — Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fewer-americans-say-democracy-is-central-to-countrys-identity-ap-poll-finds Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Fewer Americans say democracy is central to country's identity, AP poll finds Politics Jun 8, 2026 10:43 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. prepares for an extravagant celebration of its founding principles, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, a new poll finds. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans' feeling of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people. It presents a jarring contrast as communities around the country commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, the new poll found, while 44% say it's one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S., an increase from 19% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016. Americans remain divided about whether diversity is an essential feature of the U.S.'s identity, and agreement about other aspects of the country's underlying character appears to be eroding, the survey found. Americans are less likely to see a democratically elected government as "extremely" or "very" important to the United States' identity as a nation than they were just a few years ago. About two-thirds of U.S. adults now say a democratically elected government is highly important to the U.S.'s identity as a nation, down from 80% in 2021. "It's not that the democracy part is not working," said Derricka Wall, 24, of Chickasaw, Alabama. "It's the people that are actually being put in office that is the problem." Wall believes politicians have damaged America's governing system, which was designed to ensure representation and guard against government misuse. America, she said, "is not what it used to be. I feel like our founding fathers would be kind of disappointed with how it is now." Rising belief that democracy is not essential to American identity Young adults are much less likely than older Americans to believe the U.S. is special, compared with other nations, the poll found. About 4 in 10, 44%, of U.S. adults under 30 say there are other countries better than the U.S., compared with 22% of U.S. adults ages 60 and older. Fewer, too, see democracy as a key element of the U.S.'s identity. Only about half of Americans under 30 believe this, compared with 81% of those 60 and older. Wall sai