If you only read the headlines in the nation’s major newspapers, it would be easy to think that there is nothing Americans agree on. It is true, there is tension and disagreement everywhere, from big things like politics to small things like whether or not candy corn tastes good.
However, when you look past the headlines, there is still a lot that Americans across the political, socioeconomic, rural/urban and age divide still agree on – and see as a significant part of the American experience.
Here are 7 statistics that show we are more united than you may think:
- 76% of Americans say American identity is important to them. Despite the many differences Americans have with each other, the majority of Americans believe that being an American is an important part of who they are according to a YouGov study done in partnership with More in Common.
- 9 in 10 Americans feel like a story of hard work and passing on a better life resonates with their family’s experience in America. America has long been known as the land of opportunity. According to the same study, that idea is still very much alive amongst the majority of Americans, and it is something that is shown in their lived experience.
- 75% of Americans believe that America is the greatest – or at least among the greatest – nations in the world. According to a Pew Research survey, 52% of Americans believe America is the greatest nation in the world and 23% believe it’s one of the greatest nations in the world. Pride in America is something that still shows we are united.
- About two-thirds of Americans believe that America being open to people around the world is an important part of American identity. That same Pew Survey also found that 66% percent of Americans believe that openness to people in the world is an essential part of American identity. The idea of a nation of immigrants and a diverse population is still valued by most Americans.
- 68% of Americans feel hopeful about America’s future. According to the same Pew Survey, a majority of Americans – including majorities in both political parties – believe that America has a promising future.
- 8 out of 10 Americans believe that freedom is essential to being an American. A recent study by Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights and Institute of Politics, revealed that 80% of Americans agree that “without our freedom, America is nothing.”
- 90% of Americans believe that Americans have essential rights that must be protected. According to the Carr study, these rights include voting, equal protection, free speech, equal opportunity, privacy and racial equality.
For America to stand, it must stand together. Fortunately, there is still a lot more that unites us than divides us.
