Survey Reveals Diverse Opinions Among Americans on National Standing

A recent survey by YouGov, conducted just weeks before the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, discovered that a quarter of Democrats perceive America as “worse than average” when compared to other nations.

The survey asked participants to assess the position of the United States globally. Results showed that 21% of those surveyed believe America is “the greatest country,” while 20% consider it “one of the greatest.” Conversely, 14% deemed it “worse than average,” with further breakdowns revealing 13% rating it “better than average” and 12% believing it is “about average.” Interestingly, 9% labeled the U.S. “one of the worst countries,” and 3% went so far as to say it is “the worst.”

Opinions, however, split sharply along party lines. A mere 8% of Democrats regard America as the “greatest,” in stark contrast to 44% of Republicans who share that view. Furthermore, just 14% of Democrats describe the U.S. as “one of the greatest,” compared to 31% of Republicans. This suggests that a significant portion of Republicans consider America to be among the top countries globally.

Indeed, among Democrats, a notable 25% view the U.S. as “worse than average.” Additionally, 14% of them classify the nation as “one of the worst,” while 6% believe it is “the worst.” If you add those numbers together, about 45% of Democrats feel America is at least below average.

On the flip side, only 12% of Republicans think America ranks as worse than average or worst. Independents showed varied opinions as well, with 16% believing it is the greatest and another 16% arguing it is worse than average.

The sentiments among Democrats weren’t particularly surprising. The same survey indicated that over a quarter (26%) of Democrats feel somewhat ashamed to be American, with 12% feeling very ashamed.

Additional details reveal that nearly twice as many Democrats reported feeling embarrassed about being American when compared to the overall survey demographic. Among U.S. adults generally, 12% said they felt “somewhat embarrassed,” while 8% felt “very embarrassed.”

Despite these feelings, some Democrats also expressed pride in their nationality, with 22% claiming to be “very proud” and 18% “somewhat proud.” About 22% stated they feel “not proud or ashamed,” mirroring a sentiment shared by 20% of all respondents.

Overall, Americans maintain a sense of pride in their identity, with 42% indicating they are “very proud” and 18% “somewhat proud” to be American.

The study was conducted from June 13 to 15, just ahead of the festivities planned for the upcoming 250th anniversary on July 4, which President Trump noted would feature “the largest fireworks show in history” in Washington, D.C.