Americans see nation as success, but acknowledge challenges ahead

Two hundred fifty years on, Americans generally see their nation as a success story, even if they feel it still has work to do. A large majority believe the nation has succeeded in achieving its founding ideals, at least to some extent. Americans consider themselves, "the people," as the country's best asset. Most appreciate a nation with diverse ideas and cultures and share common views on "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The founding ideals remain America's most celebrated invention.

Yet, Americans also perceive a nation facing significant challenges. Almost half feel the country's best days are behind it. The American Dream is viewed as pressured and often unattainable. Economic opportunities are seen as intertwined with political history and as defining as democracy itself. Those who believe opportunity is limited to a select few also feel democracy is under threat.

Views on the future and past are interconnected. Americans who say the U.S. has made substantial progress in achieving its founding ideals tend to be more optimistic about the future and believe U.S. democracy is secure. Conversely, those with the least confidence in the American Dream's attainability are most likely to believe America's best days are in the past and that U.S. democracy is under threat.

Most Americans feel they generally get along, with politics being the primary driver of division, a sentiment shared by Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Political division, as much as economics, is seen as the biggest challenge for the next half-century. The majority believe America thrives with a multitude of cultures and values, and they hold shared understandings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.