A recent Fox News poll reveals a decline in American pride and optimism, reaching unprecedented lows as the July 4th weekend approaches. While a majority still consider the United States the best place to live, the number is lower than ever recorded. Over half of those surveyed express a lack of national pride, and a record low believe America's best days lie ahead.
For the first time in the poll's history, less than half of voters (43%) believe the nation's best days are in the future. This represents a significant drop of nine points compared to two years ago, 19 points since 2017, and a substantial 20-point decline since 2012.
This decline in optimism is widespread across demographics, affecting Republicans (-29 points), women (-24), independents (-22), White voters (-20), voters under 30 (-19), voters ages 65+ (-19), men (-15), and Democrats (-12).
While national pride saw a slight increase this year, it remains lower than in 2016. Currently, 44% express pride in the country, compared to 53% who do not. This marks an improvement from the 39% who felt pride in 2022, but still falls short of the 50% recorded in 2016 and 51% in 2017.
The slight rebound in national pride is largely attributed to increased positive sentiment among Democrats, men, and voters aged 65 and older. Last year, Democrats were divided on the issue, but this year, a majority (54%) express pride. Similarly, men and voters over 65 have shifted from a majority expressing lack of pride to a more evenly divided perspective.
Despite the decline in optimism and pride, a majority of voters (64%) still consider the U.S. the best country to live in globally. However, this number has decreased from 69% in 2021 and a peak of 84% in 2011. This downward trend is observed across most demographics over the past decade.
Despite the overall decline, majorities within Democratic, Republican, and independent voter groups still believe the U.S. is the best country to live in. The poll, conducted from June 23-26 by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), surveyed 1,005 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
