Americans have a bleak outlook on the nation’s future ahead of its 250th birthday next month, with most saying the U.S.has already seen its best days and a record-low number saying they are extremely proud to be Americans, according to a new NBC News poll.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Overall, the survey — sponsored by More Perfect, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to advancing democracy — shows that Americans believe their country has achieved many of the goals of its founders, but it is now falling short in living up to certain central tenets of the democratic experiment.
They are split almost evenly over whether the Constitution has stood the test of time.And they have little faith in their institutions — including the federal government, the media and the high-tech industry.Even the military, which ranks highest among the institutions tested and retains the confidence of most Americans, has seen a pronounced drop in support.But Americans also share core values and are willing to engage each other on their differences, according to the survey, which includes 3,000 U.S.
adults contacted by phone and text message from May 29 through June 7.Contemplating the results, Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the survey alongside Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, reflected on Benjamin Franklin’s observation that the image of the half-sun on the back of George Washington’s chair was rising, not setting, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention.The Rising Sun Chair served as George Washington's seat at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the U.S.Constitution was drafted.
It is located at the Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia.Joseph Sohm / Getty Images“Today, as the astute political observer that he was, Franklin might take a more nuanced look at that chair and agree with its citi...