A new Economist/YouGov survey found sharp partisan divides over American pride as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.
According to the poll, only 8% of Democrats said the United States is the “greatest” country in the world, compared with 52% of Republicans who gave that answer.
Overall, Americans were more positive than negative about the country. Twenty-five percent of respondents said America is the greatest country, 20% said it is “among the greatest,” and 12% said it is “better than average.” Another 13% described the U.S. as “about average.”
Negative views were less common overall but far more concentrated among Democrats and liberals. Twelve percent of all respondents said America is “worse than average,” 9% said it is “among the worst,” and 4% called it “the worst.”
Among Democrats, 23% described America as “worse than average,” 15% said it is “among the worst,” and 4% said it is “the worst.” Another 13% said the country is “about average,” while 13% called it “better than average” and 16% said it is “among the greatest.”
The divide was similarly stark by ideology. A plurality of liberals, 26%, said America is “worse than average,” while a majority of conservatives, 53%, said the country is the greatest in the world.
The poll also showed a clear split between 2024 voters. Among those who voted for President Donald Trump, 54% described America as the greatest country, while 27% said it is among the greatest. Zero percent of Trump voters called America the worst country.
By contrast, nearly a quarter of Kamala Harris voters said America is “worse than average,” while 18% said it is “among the worst” and 5% said it is “the worst.”
The survey comes as the country prepares for its semiquincentennial celebration and the Great American State Fair on the National Mall. It also follows another Economist/YouGov survey that found nearly four in ten Democrats said they were ashamed to be American.
The findings suggest that national pride has become deeply entangled with partisan identity. While Republicans overwhelmingly continue to describe America in exceptional terms, many Democrats and liberals appear far more ambivalent, or openly negative, about the country as it approaches its most significant anniversary to date.
The Economist/YouGov survey was conducted June 19-22, 2026, among 1,679 respondents.
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That’s why they are trying to turn this nation into a hellhole