
American Pride Falls as Polarization Deepens, Survey Finds
PRRI's May 2026 American Identity Survey shows Americans retreating into ideological camps and losing faith in shared institutions: pride in being American drops to 51% (down from 82% in 2013), Democrats and Republicans differ sharply on what makes someone 'truly American'—including birthplace, belief in God, and Christianity—and belief in the American Dream has fallen, especially among 18– to 29-year-olds (36%); only 18% say democracy is working well, signaling a growing national identity crisis ahead of the 250th anniversary.
