We are pleased to share the second edition of our new monthly flagship commentary series, Why It Matters, offering timely analysis of global developments with a particular focus on human rights. This month's commentary examines Americans' views about themselves and their country as the nation marks its 250th birthday and the implications for a human rights-based U.S. foreign policy.
Americans share broad consensus on values but differ vastly on what identities make a person “truly” American as nation turns 250. What does this mean for U.S. foreign policy?
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a new national survey by Change Research offers a timely portrait of how Americans define themselves and their country. For policy makers, the poll carries a clear and bipartisan signal to defend the democratic principles that Americans across parties value in our domestic and foreign policies.
The survey of 1,714 registered voters conducted between June 10 and June 17, 2026 found that most Americans agree that the belief in the principles of the Declaration of Independence – including equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – is the most important aspect of being American.
This consensus transcended party affiliation with 96 percent of Democrats, 97 percent of Independents, and a whopping 99 percent of Republicans in agreement.
Such a
high level of agreement is noteworthy in today’s polarized environment and offers a rare opportunity to build policy around shared values, including a foreign policy grounded in human rights and democratic principles. At the same time, the survey reveals tensions between broad agreement on democratic ideals and more exclusionary views of national identity, particularly among Republicans Together, these findings point to both the mandate and the risks facing U.S. foreign policy in the years ahead. While U.S. foreign policy was not the focus of the poll, the results offer important insights into the role Americans want to see their country to play in the world.
The poll found broad consensus on what it is that it takes to be “truly American” when it comes to values. Nearly universal majorities pointed to civic ideals rather than individual background as what makes someone “truly American,” with belief in the principles of the Declaration of Independence – including equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – ranking first among defining characteristics of what it takes to be “truly American” at 97 percent overall. Belief in democratic values as well as free elections, the rule of law, and free speech followed closely at 96 percent and respect for American laws and institutions ranked third at 95 percent.
Support for these principles was widely consistent across the spectrum with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all within a few points of one another. Respect for people of different backgrounds, religions, and cultures was also strong for Americans overall at 87 percent, though there was a bit more variance across party affiliation with 99 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of Independents, and 74 percent of Republicans responding affirmatively. These are precisely the values the United States has historically claimed to represent and advance in the world. Yet the current administration has largely abandoned these principles, a shift that is out of step with the values Americans across the political spectrum continue to embrace as central to the nation’s identity. This survey affirms that Americans across party lines support a vision of America – and a U.S. foreign policy – grounded in democracy, human rights, and respect for diversity.
The priorities of those surveyed about their expectations for the next 25 years read like a list of goals for good governance with the overwhelming majority of respondents hoping for accessible and affordable healthcare, lower costs of living, and greater accountability from those in power, including term limits as well as putting an end to corruption. Accountability notably stood out as one of the few genuinely bipartisan policies as it was raised by Republicans and Democrats alike. Across the spectrum, Americans returned to a common theme of getting along better with one another regardless of political beliefs, a wish for the country to work better for everyone in it, and peace overseas, specifically with an end to conflict and better relations with Russia and China.
The hope for peace suggests that beneath the partisan noise, the public is not looking for a more aggressive posture on the world stage but is instead asking for stability, diplomacy, and de-escalation abroad. Given that the Trump Administration has favored withdrawal from and pressure on international institutions that are meant to promote peace and global cooperation, this helps serve as a reminder that Americans across parties would welcome a foreign policy that is oriented towards cooperation rather than conflict.
This desire for peace, especially when connected with the broad consensus on democratic values, means that there should be respectful, diplomatic engagement with the world from the U.S. rather than an aggressive, militaristic approach.
At the same time, the poll reveals a vastly different conception of American identity in concrete terms such as religion, lineage, birthplace, and language based on party affiliation that deserves attention:
Taken together, these findings indicate a correlation between party affiliation and a strong belief in an ethnocultural aspect of Americanness, associating full membership in a nation with religion, birthplace, lineage, and language. This is significant because a definition of belonging that is built on exclusion is likely to shape how the government interprets its human rights commitments both domestically and overseas.Views like these are in tension with the ideologies most Americans share and reported in this poll - including the belief in equality. The hierarchy of these contradicting views has major implications for public policy; if the more exclusionary view of America wins, then we are likely to see policies that take a much narrower view of who belongs in the country, who is deserving of full rights, and whose rights the United States is willing to defend abroad take effect - which is exactly what we see now.
While the vast differences in responses in this poll should not be ignored, the strong consensus on democratic values should be seen as fertile ground to build upon. Belief in equality, free elections, free speech, the rule of law, and respect for people of different backgrounds are not the property of one party but rather, are a shared American creed and are endorsed by overwhelming majorities across the political spectrum. Policymakers and politicians should take this as a mandate to defend these principles domestically and in U.S. foreign policy abroad. Americans want the U.S. to live up to its founding promise, since the gap they see between principle and practice drives their priorities for the future.
The findings of exclusionary conceptions of identity reflect not only a clear tension between Americans across the political spectrum, but also an enduring gap between America’s ideals and its practice. The call to action for policymakers is not to dilute commitments to equity and human rights or to paper over these differences. Instead, they must grapple with these tensions and demonstrate how a more inclusive vision of American identity flows from the principles that Americans across the political spectrum already embrace, and that these principles must be applied evenly and consistently, at home and abroad. The poll’s findings, particularly evidence of a broad desire for global peace and for steady public institutions, should engender hope. It allows us to hold up a mirror and remind Americans that across the spectrum, we still want the United States to be a positive, reliable global partner and that we by and large recognize the importance of upholding the principles of rule of law and equality to our legitimacy on the global stage. The question of whether America will continue to strive to live up to the ideals outlined in its founding documents will depend on its willingness to align its conduct at home and abroad with the values its citizens broadly embrace.
The full analysis is available from Change Research at
changeresearch.com/happy-250th-america-proud-today-hopeful-for-tomorrow
© 2025 Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice.
