Back in June, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research surveyed 1,008 American citizens on their perception of the current state of the United States. The survey's results, released on Monday, revealed several key divides in the national outlook, with many believing the country to be struggling while others asserted that America is doing great.
The disparity in opinion became particularly evident when responders were asked to sum up how they would describe America in one word. The two most common answers were "struggling/declining" and "great/prosperous/powerful," each polling at 21 and 18 percent, respectively. Another 15 percent used the word "free" or "freedom," while one in every 10 said America is "confused" or "lost."
The group was similarly split when asked if America's best days are ahead of us or behind us, as 52 percent responded "behind" while 46 responded "ahead." They also couldn't put their finger on the main thing dividing Americans, with answers ranging from "political interests/values" to "economic interests/values" to "race/racism," among several others.
However, the majority of respondents were keenly aware of the country's divisions, with 80 percent saying that Americans are greatly divided when it comes to the most important values. Many were also in agreement that the media plays a role in this divisiveness, with 72 percent of respondents saying that the news media puts too much focus on what divides Americans. Another 63 percent said the same thing about politicians and elected officials.
Suffice it to say, the United States is far from united when it comes to the nation's key issues.