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Are you proud to be an American? That’s a question we posed to a group of swing voters from swing states, who have a history of voting for candidates from both major political parties.
Their answers reflect a nuanced view of this country at a time of partisan polarization and widespread discontent.
“The answer is yes,” said John from Pennsylvania in a voice memo shared with NPR. “I am proud to be an American. It’s a very imperfect country. There’s a lot that still needs to be worked on, a lot that still needs to be done.”
John is one of a dozen voters participating in a project called Swing Shift, where we regularly take the temperature of voters who could help decide the elections in 2026 and 2028. NPR agreed not to use the full names of these voters so they are able to speak more freely about politics.
“Yes, I am and always have been proud to be an American,” said Jason from North Carolina.
“I would still say, yes, here, but with some slight embarrassment,” said Wally from Georgia.
“I’m proud to be an American,” said Gerald, also from Georgia. “This is the greatest country on the planet Earth.”
“We live in the best country in the world,” said Theresa from Pennsylvania. “We have democracy. We have freedom.”
“I do have some pride to be an American,” said Evan from Wisconsin. “However, I also have a lot of shame.”
“Why shouldn’t I be proud to be American?” asked Lee from Nevada. “I mean, we live in one of the best countries in the world.”
To mark America’s 250th Anniversary, a new poll from NPR/PBS News/Marist asked that question and found a partisan divide in whether people express pride, and a divergence in intensity as well. Overall 65% of those surveyed say they are “proud” or “very proud” to be an American. But the partisan split is stark. 93% of Republicans are “proud” or “very proud” while that same sentiment is shared by only 45% of Democrats. .
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A pulse of the country as it turns 250
All over the country, with big fireworks shows and small backyard barbeques, Americans will mark the nation’s 250th birthday today. To get a sense of how they are feeling about the country, we asked the swing voters for one word or phrase to describe how they feel about America’s future. They are “uncertain,” “concerned,” “hopeful,” “worried,” “excited,” and “cautiously optimistic.”
And then there’s Lee, who has a new job, and his optimism is unqualified.
“I think we’re going to have a good future,” he said. “Because, why wouldn’t we?”
Gerald, who voted for Presidents Obama and Biden but has gone all in on MAGA and President Trump, sees Democrats as a threat.
“They try to take them basic freedoms away every single day,” said Gerald. “If you give them a foot, they will take 10,000 miles. We cannot let up.”
Evan, who grew up Republican and voted Democratic for the first time in 2024, says he’s worried about corruption.
“The government is not working for people or the population anymore,” Evan said. “They’re working for themselves, corporations and other countries.”
Wally says that he voted unenthusiastically for Trump in 2024, but has since soured on him.
He worries about corruption and a decline of trust in institutions.
“I feel we’re drifting further and further away from what we’re founded on,” said Wally. “America has turned into a free-for-all of sorts. People are anxious over the future, and we’re seeing in the political sphere, elected officials essentially getting richer and richer off the backs of hardworking Americans and using their status to look after themselves and not their constituents.”
Two of the swing voters, without prompting, brought up artificial intelligence.
“I’m worried what’s going to happen, if we’re going to let technology take over fundamentally who we are as human beings,” said Theresa, adding “we need people to be in control, and we need people to be in control that are kind.”
John describes AI as “challenging and scary.” But he also says he’s hopeful it could be harnessed to cure cancer or something good.
As he reflects on his own country, he’s found perspective from an unlikely source: World Cup soccer fans and tourists.
“They’re amazed at our abundance. They’re amazed at our beauty, our wealth,” John said. “They’re intrigued by our food. They’re intrigued by our air conditioning.”
Jason, from North Carolina, says watching these fans “who are experiencing the United States for the first time themselves, and seeing everything from the volume of choices, to pricing, to the freedom of movement and speech and actions,” has given him a new appreciation for what Americans have.
Transcript:
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now more voices of our fellow Americans. NPR has undertaken a project that we call Swing Shift. It follows a dozen voters in swing states. NPR senior political correspondent Tamara Keith is checking in with them periodically on gas prices, their opinion on how the president is doing, and today, on how they feel about America on its 250th birthday.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOHN: Hello, Tamara. This is John (ph) from Pennsylvania.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: I sent John and the other swing shift voters a list of questions about America 250 years in, and they sent back thoughtful answers, recorded on their phones.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOHN: The question is, are you proud to be an American? Why or why not? The answer is yes. I am proud to be an American. It’s a very imperfect country. There’s a lot that still needs to be worked on, a lot that still needs to be done.
KEITH: And still, he’s proud. They all are, with varying levels of nuance.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
JASON: Yes. I am and always have been proud to be an American.
WALLY: I would still say yes here but with some slight embarrassment.
GERALD: I’m proud to be an American. This is the greatest country on the planet Earth.
THERESA: We live in the best country in the world, you know? We have democracy. We have freedom.
EVAN: I do have some pride to be an American. However, I also have a lot of shame.
LEE: Why wouldn’t I be proud to be American? I mean, we live in one of the best countries in the world.
KEITH: That was Jason (ph), Wally (ph), Gerald (ph), Theresa (ph), Evan (ph) and Lee (ph). NPR agreed not to use their full names, so they can speak freely about politics in these polarized times. They mentioned different concerns. Gerald, who voted for presidents Obama and Biden but has gone all-in on MAGA, sees Democrats as a threat.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GERALD: That’s what worries me. They try to take them basic freedoms away every single day. If you give them a foot, they will want to take 10,000 miles. We cannot let up.
KEITH: Evan, who grew up Republican and voted Democratic for the first time in 2024, says he’s worried about corruption.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
EVAN: The government is not working for the people or population anymore. They’re working for themselves, corporations and other countries.
KEITH: Two of these swing voters, without prompting, brought up artificial intelligence. Theresa lives in Pennsylvania.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
THERESA: I’m worried what’s going to happen if we’re going to let technology take over who we are fundamentally as human beings.
KEITH: John describes AI as challenging and scary, but he also says he’s hopeful it could be harnessed to cure cancer or something good. On America, he’s found new perspective from an unlikely source – World Cup soccer fans.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JOHN: They’re amazed at our abundance. They’re amazed at our beauty, our wealth. They’re intrigued by our food. They’re intrigued by our air conditioning.
KEITH: Jason from North Carolina says watching these fans has given him a new appreciation for what we have.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JASON: The reactions of others from around the world who are experiencing the United States for the first time, themselves, and seeing everything from the volume of choices to pricing to the freedom of movement and speech and actions.
KEITH: The final question I asked was for one word or phrase that explains how they feel about America’s future. These swing voters are uncertain, concerned, hopeful, worried, excited and cautiously optimistic. And then there’s Lee, who has a new job, and his optimism is unqualified.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LEE: I think we’re going to have a good future because why wouldn’t we?
KEITH: Tamara Keith, NPR News.