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American voters are patriotic, proud of the country, and optimistic the best days are ahead, even as they are split on how well the United States is doing living up to its founding principles.

As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, a Fox News national survey finds voters are divided on the progress America has made toward achieving such ideals as liberty, equality, and self-reliance, as nearly half rate that progress positively, while a narrow majority gives it negative marks.

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Some of the most positive ratings are among Republicans, White evangelical Christians, rural voters, Whites without a college degree, men, and voters ages 45 and older. Negative ratings come primarily from Democrats, Black voters, independents, women, and voters under age 45.

Fifty-three percent of voters say they are proud of the country today. While that’s down 5 points since last year, it’s higher than during the Biden administration years (39–45%), and during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, when 51% said they were proud (2017).

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Pride varies significantly by generation. More than half of voters ages 45 and older say they are proud of the country, while those under age 45 say they aren’t. The under 30 crowd is the age group that is the least proud at 44%.

Around 8 in 10 Republicans say they are proud of the country today, compared with 3 in 10 Democrats, and 4 in 10 independents. Views on patriotism are more positive. Majorities across all partisan groups consider themselves patriotic, including about 9 in 10 Republicans, 6 in 10 Democrats, and slightly more than half of independents.

Overall, 7 in 10 voters say they are patriotic. That rises to 9 in 10 among MAGA Republicans and about 8 in 10 among White evangelical Christians, voters ages 65+, and non-MAGA Republicans. White voters (75%) express higher levels of patriotism than non-White (57%) and Black voters (46%).

When asked to say in their own words what it means to be an American, more than one-third of voters mention freedom and liberty. Other common themes include national pride, heritage, civic duty, the American Dream and ideas related to rights and equality. About 1 in 10 mention something negative about the current situation in the U.S.

Looking forward, a 54% majority believes America’s best days are ahead, up 11 points from 43% when the question was last asked in 2023. During the president’s first term, 62% said the best days were ahead (2017).

Some 45% think the country’s best days are in the past. 

Views on the nation’s future are closely tied to partisanship. Republicans are about 30 points more likely than both Democrats and independents to believe the best days are still ahead. Since 2023, optimism among Republicans is up by 42 points, but down by 20 points among Democrats.

Six in 10 voters believe democracy is not working well in the U.S. today, including three-quarters of both Democrats and independents, and nearly 4 in 10 Republicans. 

The July 4 holiday has many thinking about summer vacation plans. Voters say they would rather have more money to spend on a vacation than more time to be on one (56% vs. 43%). That marks a reversal from the three previous times the question was asked more than a decade ago, when more than half preferred additional vacation time to additional money to spend on it. 

Meanwhile, despite three-quarters disapproving of the job Trump is doing on gas prices (77%), a 60% majority says they have not changed their summer travel plans because of prices at the pump.  

Conducted June 12–15, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (101) and cellphones (644) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (257). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.