Fox News Poll: Founding Fathers would not be proud of nation, most say
Over the Fourth of July, Americans will celebrate our country’s independence by going to the beach, firing up the grill and shooting off fireworks.
But are they proud of the nation they are honoring? The latest Fox News Poll asked.
Just over half, 51 percent, are proud of the United States today. That number held steady since last June (50 percent), but it’s down from a high of 69 percent in 2011.
Forty-five percent of voters are not proud.
By a 25-point margin, Republicans (64 percent) are more likely than Democrats (39 percent) to say they’re proud. Independents split: 50 percent proud vs. 46 percent not.
How would the Founding Fathers feel? A record 79 percent of voters think if Washington, Jefferson, and the rest were alive today, they wouldn’t be too thrilled. Large majorities across the political spectrum feel that way, including 83 percent of independents, 80 percent of Republicans, and 78 percent of Democrats.
Additionally, 50 percent think life for the next generation of Americans will be worse than life today. It was 43 percent last September, but 61 percent in September 2014 and October 2010. Democrats (64 percent), non-whites (61 percent), and women (54 percent) are among those most likely to feel that way.
Overall, 40 percent think life for the next generation will be better.
Meanwhile, 64 percent of voters are optimistic about the economy right now, while one-third is pessimistic (32 percent). Key Republican constituencies are among those feeling the most positive, as large numbers of white evangelicals (78 percent), whites without a college degree (71 percent), and men (69 percent) all feel at least somewhat optimistic.
“For decades, the party of the president has been a bigger predictor of which voters feel good about the economy than individuals’ economic situations,” says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson who conducts the Fox News Poll along with Republican Daron Shaw. “When Barack Obama was president, Democrats were more positive about economic conditions. Now Republicans are. This isn’t because Republicans’ individual financial situations have improved and Democrats haven’t.”
President Trump receives his highest marks on the economy (48 percent approve vs. 43 percent disapprove). He also gets a positive job rating for his handling of terrorism (48-45 percent).
Voters rate him lower on foreign policy (41 percent approve vs. 52 percent disapprove) and health care (36-55 percent).
The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,017 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from June 25-27, 2017. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.