---
title: "On the Country’s 250th Anniversary, the American People Are in a Sour Mood"
description: "Still, many express some optimism: Most people say they feel \"hopeful\" and 54% say they're \"happy\" when thinking about the future."
date: "2026-06-12"
authors:
  - name: "Gregory A. Smith"
    job_title: "Senior Associate Director, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/gregory-a-smith/"
  - name: "Alan Cooperman"
    job_title: "Director, Religion Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/alan-cooperman/"
  - name: "Claudia Deane"
    job_title: "Executive Vice President"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/claudia-deane/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/on-the-countrys-250th-anniversary-the-american-people-are-in-a-sour-mood/"
categories:
  - "Economy & Work"
  - "Government"
  - "Happiness & Life Satisfaction"
  - "U.S. Democracy"
  - "Uncategorized"
---

# On the Country’s 250th Anniversary, the American People Are in a Sour Mood

## Table of Contents
1. [On the Country’s 250th Anniversary, the American People Are in a Sour Mood](https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/on-the-countrys-250th-anniversary-the-american-people-are-in-a-sour-mood/markdown)
   - [Trends in the public’s mood](#trends-in-the-publics-mood)
   - [Signs of optimism](#signs-of-optimism)
   - [Looking ahead to 2050](#looking-ahead-to-2050)
   - [National mood linked with partisanship](#national-mood-linked-with-partisanship)
   - [Age gaps in the nation’s mood](#age-gaps-in-the-nations-mood)
2. [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/national-mood-acknowledgments/markdown)
3. [Methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/national-mood-methodology/markdown)

![Hands holding American flag in a wheat field at sunset. Independence Day, 4th of July](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/pr_26.06.12_national-mood_featured.jpg?w=640)

## But there are some signs of optimism about the future

**About this research**

This Pew Research Center report uses survey data to explore how U.S. adults think things are going for the country on the eve of its 250th anniversary – and what they see in the nation’s future.

#### Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center conducts high-quality research to inform the public, journalists and leaders. Studying Americans’ views about how things are functioning in the U.S. and their expectations for the future is a key part of the Center’s long-standing research agenda.

[Learn more about Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/about/).

#### How did we do this?

This analysis includes new findings from a survey of 3,592 U.S. adults who are part of the Center’s [American Trends Panel (ATP)](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/). The survey was conducted April 6-12, 2026, and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.

Here are the [questions from that survey used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/pr_26.06.12_national-mood_questionnaire.pdf), along with [responses](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/06/pr_26.06.12_national-mood_topline.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/national-mood-methodology/).

Additionally, this analysis draws on previously released survey findings we published in recent years. Links to those earlier surveys are included throughout this report.

As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, the American public’s mood is sour – but with some signs of enduring optimism.

In Pew Research Center surveys over the past year, most people have told us they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States and that they think the country’s [best days](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/05/15/a-majority-of-americans-say-the-countrys-best-years-are-behind-us/) are behind us.

### Most Americans think the country’s best days are behind us

*Among U.S. adults ...*

|  | Satisfied | Dissatisfied |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All in all, they are __ with the way things are going in this country today (Jan 2026) | 29% | 69% |
|  |  |  |
|  | Ahead of us | Behind us |
| Thinking about the future of the U.S., they think the country's best years are ... (Dec 2025) | 40% | 59% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Question about satisfaction comes from a survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. Question about country’s best years comes from a survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025.

In recent decades, Americans also have grown less trustful of [each other](https://www.pewresearch.org/2025/05/08/americans-trust-in-one-another/) and of [institutions](https://www.pew.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2024/americans-deepening-mistrust-of-institutions) including the federal government, both major political parties, the mainstream media, and colleges and universities.

Compared with people in other countries, more Americans express [gloomy views](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/06/10/americans-are-more-dissatisfied-with-how-their-democracy-is-working-than-people-in-other-high-income-countries/) about [how their democracy is working](https://www.pew.org/en/trust/archive/winter-2026/as-the-us-approaches-its-250th-birthday-there-is-broad-dissatisfaction-with-democracy) and doubts about whether fellow citizens have [good morals](https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/03/05/in-25-country-survey-americans-especially-likely-to-view-fellow-citizens-as-morally-bad/).

And when asked to look ahead to 2050, upward of half of U.S. adults say they think the economy will be weaker, the U.S. will be less important in the world, the country will be more politically divided, and the American system of government will work worse than it does today.

Still, many Americans express some optimism when they are asked to think about the future in general terms.

Most people say they feel “hopeful” when they think about the future, and 54% say they feel “happy” when they ponder days to come.

About as many Americans say they are optimistic (48%) as say they are pessimistic (51%) about the future of the country as a whole.

And even on some questions where the balance of opinion leans negative, there are signs of recent improvement in the public’s mood.

### Signs of recent improvement in expectations for 2050

*% of U.S. adults who say that by 2050 …*

|  | The nation’s economy will be stronger than today | The nation will be less politically divided than today |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 04/2023 | 32% | 21% |
| 04/2026 | 43% | 33% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.

Compared with our polling in 2023, more U.S. adults now think that in the coming decades, the country’s economy will grow stronger and its political divisions will become less sharp.

And satisfaction with the country’s direction was lower during much of the period from 2020 to 2024 than it was during 2025 and at the start of this year.

Feelings about the country’s direction are closely linked with people’s political leanings. During President Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans have been much happier than Democrats with how things are going. A few short years ago, when Joe Biden was president, Democrats tended to be more positive than Republicans.

### For Republicans and Democrats, satisfaction with how things are going tracks with who is president

*% of U.S. adults who are satisfied with the way things are going in the country*

|  | Rep/lean Rep | Dem/lean Dem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 01/2026 | 54% | 8% |
| 01/2022 | 10% | 29% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026.

And views about the country’s future are also connected with age. When asked to look ahead to what things might be like in the year 2050, the youngest U.S. adults express more pessimistic views than the country’s older adults do.

This report focuses on questions we’ve asked in recent years that shed light on how the country is feeling about itself on the eve of a milestone anniversary. We also look at some questions we asked in a new survey, conducted in April 2026, asking Americans about their expectations for what the country will be like in 2050, roughly 25 years from now.

### Trends in the public’s mood

As 2026 dawned, 29% of U.S. adults said they were satisfied with how things were going in the country, while 69% were dissatisfied*.*

The number of people saying they are satisfied with how things are going has rebounded somewhat since a recent low point in the COVID-19 pandemic. But more Americans have expressed dissatisfaction than satisfaction with the country’s direction for more than two decades.

### For decades, more Americans have expressed dissatisfaction than satisfaction with how things are going in the country

*% of U.S. adults who say they are satisfied/dissatisfied with the way things are going in this country today*

| End Field Date | Satisfied | Dissatisfied |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 11/10/1991 | 34 | 61 |
| 1/6/1992 | 28 | 68 |
| 1/6/1993 | 39 | 50 |
| 5/27/1993 | 22 | 71 |
| 9/15/1993 | 20 | 75 |
| 10/15/1993 | 22 | 73 |
| 3/21/1994 | 24 | 71 |
| 7/27/1994 | 24 | 73 |
| 4/9/1995 | 23 | 74 |
| 6/11/1995 | 25 | 73 |
| 10/30/1995 | 23 | 73 |
| 3/31/1996 | 28 | 70 |
| 7/28/1996 | 29 | 67 |
| 1/12/1997 | 38 | 58 |
| 8/10/1997 | 49 | 46 |
| 9/11/1997 | 45 | 49 |
| 1/18/1998 | 46 | 50 |
| 2/2/1998 | 59 | 37 |
| 8/2/1998 | 50 | 44 |
| 8/24/1998 | 55 | 41 |
| 9/10/1998 | 54 | 42 |
| 11/19/1998 | 46 | 44 |
| 1/17/1999 | 53 | 41 |
| 9/9/1999 | 56 | 39 |
| 5/13/2000 | 48 | 43 |
| 6/28/2000 | 47 | 45 |
| 9/10/2000 | 51 | 41 |
| 1/7/2001 | 55 | 41 |
| 2/19/2001 | 46 | 43 |
| 3/18/2001 | 47 | 45 |
| 6/17/2001 | 43 | 52 |
| 9/4/2001 | 41 | 53 |
| 9/25/2001 | 57 | 34 |
| 3/10/2002 | 50 | 40 |
| 5/16/2002 | 44 | 44 |
| 8/25/2002 | 47 | 44 |
| 9/15/2002 | 41 | 55 |
| 11/10/2002 | 41 | 48 |
| 1/12/2003 | 44 | 50 |
| 4/16/2003 | 50 | 41 |
| 8/5/2003 | 40 | 53 |
| 10/20/2003 | 38 | 56 |
| 12/17/2003 | 44 | 47 |
| 1/15/2004 | 45 | 48 |
| 2/29/2004 | 39 | 55 |
| 5/9/2004 | 33 | 61 |
| 7/18/2004 | 38 | 55 |
| 10/15/2004 | 36 | 58 |
| 12/15/2004 | 39 | 54 |
| 1/9/2005 | 40 | 54 |
| 2/21/2005 | 38 | 56 |
| 5/28/2005 | 39 | 57 |
| 7/18/2005 | 35 | 58 |
| 10/10/2005 | 29 | 65 |
| 11/27/2005 | 34 | 59 |
| 1/8/2006 | 34 | 61 |
| 3/6/2006 | 32 | 63 |
| 5/15/2006 | 29 | 65 |
| 7/19/2006 | 30 | 65 |
| 10/4/2006 | 30 | 63 |
| 11/12/2006 | 28 | 64 |
| 12/10/2006 | 28 | 65 |
| 1/9/2007 | 30 | 63 |
| 1/15/2007 | 32 | 61 |
| 2/15/2007 | 30 | 61 |
| 10/23/2007 | 28 | 66 |
| 12/30/2007 | 27 | 66 |
| 2/2/2008 | 24 | 70 |
| 3/15/2008 | 22 | 72 |
| 5/25/2008 | 18 | 76 |
| 6/29/2008 | 19 | 76 |
| 7/27/2008 | 19 | 74 |
| 8/10/2008 | 21 | 74 |
| 9/14/2008 | 25 | 69 |
| 10/12/2008 | 11 | 86 |
| 12/8/2008 | 13 | 83 |
| 1/11/2009 | 20 | 73 |
| 4/21/2009 | 23 | 70 |
| 5/12/2009 | 34 | 58 |
| 6/14/2009 | 30 | 64 |
| 7/26/2009 | 28 | 66 |
| 8/17/2009 | 28 | 65 |
| 8/27/2009 | 28 | 65 |
| 9/15/2009 | 30 | 64 |
| 10/4/2009 | 25 | 67 |
| 11/8/2009 | 25 | 67 |
| 1/10/2010 | 27 | 69 |
| 2/9/2010 | 23 | 71 |
| 3/14/2010 | 23 | 71 |
| 3/21/2010 | 25 | 69 |
| 4/5/2010 | 31 | 63 |
| 4/26/2010 | 29 | 66 |
| 5/16/2010 | 28 | 64 |
| 6/27/2010 | 27 | 64 |
| 9/6/2010 | 25 | 71 |
| 9/26/2010 | 30 | 63 |
| 11/7/2010 | 23 | 69 |
| 12/5/2010 | 21 | 72 |
| 1/9/2011 | 23 | 71 |
| 2/7/2011 | 26 | 68 |
| 3/14/2011 | 22 | 73 |
| 5/2/2011 | 32 | 60 |
| 5/8/2011 | 30 | 62 |
| 6/19/2011 | 23 | 73 |
| 7/24/2011 | 17 | 79 |
| 8/21/2011 | 17 | 79 |
| 10/4/2011 | 17 | 78 |
| 1/16/2012 | 21 | 75 |
| 2/12/2012 | 28 | 66 |
| 4/15/2012 | 24 | 69 |
| 6/3/2012 | 29 | 64 |
| 6/17/2012 | 28 | 68 |
| 7/9/2012 | 31 | 64 |
| 10/21/2012 | 32 | 61 |
| 12/9/2012 | 33 | 62 |
| 12/19/2012 | 25 | 68 |
| 1/13/2013 | 30 | 66 |
| 2/18/2013 | 31 | 64 |
| 5/5/2013 | 30 | 65 |
| 7/21/2013 | 27 | 67 |
| 10/13/2013 | 14 | 81 |
| 11/6/2013 | 21 | 75 |
| 1/19/2014 | 26 | 69 |
| 2/26/2014 | 28 | 66 |
| 4/27/2014 | 29 | 65 |
| 7/14/2014 | 29 | 68 |
| 8/24/2014 | 24 | 72 |
| 9/9/2014 | 25 | 71 |
| 10/20/2014 | 29 | 65 |
| 11/9/2014 | 27 | 68 |
| 12/7/2014 | 26 | 71 |
| 1/11/2015 | 31 | 66 |
| 2/22/2015 | 33 | 62 |
| 3/29/2015 | 31 | 64 |
| 5/18/2015 | 29 | 67 |
| 7/20/2015 | 31 | 64 |
| 9/27/2015 | 27 | 69 |
| 10/4/2015 | 27 | 67 |
| 12/13/2015 | 25 | 72 |
| 1/14/2016 | 25 | 70 |
| 3/26/2016 | 31 | 65 |
| 4/19/2016 | 26 | 70 |
| 6/26/2016 | 24 | 71 |
| 8/16/2016 | 31 | 66 |
| 10/25/2016 | 33 | 63 |
| 12/5/2016 | 30 | 65 |
| 1/9/2017 | 28 | 68 |
| 2/12/2017 | 30 | 65 |
| 4/11/2017 | 30 | 66 |
| 7/9/2017 | 28 | 67 |
| 10/30/2017 | 26 | 70 |
| 12/4/2017 | 27 | 68 |
| 1/15/2018 | 32 | 62 |
| 3/14/2018 | 30 | 66 |
| 5/1/2018 | 33 | 62 |
| 6/12/2018 | 34 | 61 |
| 9/24/2018 | 33 | 61 |
| 8/4/2019 | 27 | 72 |
| 10/13/2019 | 28 | 71 |
| 11/11/2019 | 31 | 69 |
| 3/24/2020 | 33 | 66 |
| 4/12/2020 | 31 | 68 |
| 6/22/2020 | 12 | 87 |
| 8/2/2020 | 12 | 87 |
| 10/5/2020 | 18 | 82 |
| 11/17/2020 | 22 | 77 |
| 3/7/2021 | 33 | 66 |
| 9/19/2021 | 26 | 74 |
| 9/26/2021 | 25 | 74 |
| 1/17/2022 | 21 | 78 |
| 5/1/2022 | 24 | 75 |
| 8/14/2022 | 18 | 81 |
| 10/16/2022 | 21 | 79 |
| 11/27/2022 | 24 | 75 |
| 1/24/2023 | 22 | 78 |
| 4/2/2023 | 19 | 80 |
| 6/11/2023 | 21 | 78 |
| 7/16/2023 | 22 | 77 |
| 12/3/2023 | 22 | 77 |
| 1/21/2024 | 21 | 78 |
| 5/19/2024 | 22 | 78 |
| 7/7/2024 | 18 | 82 |
| 8/11/2024 | 24 | 75 |
| 10/6/2024 | 23 | 76 |
| 11/17/2024 | 29 | 70 |
| 2/2/2025 | 38 | 61 |
| 3/16/2025 | 34 | 65 |
| 5/4/2025 | 32 | 67 |
| 8/10/2025 | 34 | 65 |
| 10/16/2025 | 27 | 72 |
| 1/26/2026 | 29 | 69 |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, November 1991-January 2026. Surveys from 1991-2018 were conducted by telephone; surveys from 2019 and later were conducted mainly online among respondents in the Center’s American Trends Panel.

Similarly, over the past decade we’ve continually found that [more Americans think their side has been losing](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/24/stark-partisan-divide-in-who-thinks-their-side-is-winning-and-losing-in-politics/), rather than winning, on the political issues that matter to them.

### Most Americans think their side is losing on the issues that matter to them

*Thinking about the way things have been going in politics over the last few years on the issues that matter to you, would you say your side has been … (%)*

|  | Losing more often than winning | Winning more often than losing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2016 | 59% | 35% |
| 2018 | 67% | 29% |
| 2019 | 62% | 34% |
| 2020 | 56% | 41% |
| 2021 | 65% | 29% |
| 2022 | 72% | 24% |
| 2024 | 71% | 25% |
| 2026 | 63% | 33% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026.

And in January 2026, the share of Americans saying they think the year ahead will be better than the previous year was lower than in any of our surveys dating back to 2020.

### In 2026, share of U.S. adults saying the year ahead will be better than previous year dips to 50%

*Do you think the year ahead will be __ than the year that just ended? (%)*

|  | Better | Worse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2020 | 55% | 43% |
| 2021 | 67% | 32% |
| 2022 | 61% | 38% |
| 2023 | 57% | 43% |
| 2024 | 55% | 45% |
| 2025 | 55% | 45% |
| 2026 | 50% | 48% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026.

### Signs of optimism

At the same time, about as many people say they are optimistic as say they are pessimistic when they think about the future of the United States.

And while many Americans say they feel [scared or sad](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/12/11/far-more-americans-say-theyd-like-to-live-in-the-past-than-in-the-future/) when they think about the future, substantial shares also say they feel hopeful and happy.

### Many Americans say they feel hopeful, happy when they think about the future

*Among U.S. adults (%)*

| Question | Yes | No |
| --- | --- | --- |
| When you think about the future, do you feel hopeful? | 68% | 31% |
| When you think about the future, do you feel happy? | 54% | 43% |
| Thinking about the future of the U.S., would you say you are … | 48% | 51% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Question about optimism/pessimism comes from a survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026. Questions about hopefulness/happiness come from a survey of U.S. adults conducted July 8-Aug. 3, 2025.

### Looking ahead to 2050

In April 2026, we asked Americans to look ahead to the year 2050 and share their expectations about the country’s economic outlook, its place in the world and several other topics.

### Most U.S. adults see no end in sight for country’s political divisions

*Looking ahead 25 years, % of U.S. adults who say that by the year 2050 ...*

| Race relations will improve | Race relations will get worse |
| --- | --- |
| 50% | 48% |
|  |  |
| The U.S. system of government will work better than today | The U.S. system of government will work worse than today |
| 45% | 54% |
|  |  |
| The U.S. economy will be stronger | The U.S. economy will be weaker |
| 43% | 55% |
|  |  |
| The U.S. will be a safer place to live | The U.S. will be a more dangerous place to live |
| 41% | 56% |
|  |  |
| The U.S. will be more important in the world | The U.S. will be less important in the world |
| 40% | 58% |
|  |  |
| The country will be less politically divided | The country will be more politically divided |
| 33% | 66% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.

The public is divided over whether race relations will improve. Half of Americans say race relations will get better in the next 25 years, and roughly the same share say they will get worse.

On the other questions, we find more pessimists than optimists. Two-thirds of U.S. adults think that by 2050 the country will have become more politically divided. More than half say they think the U.S. will play a less important role in the world, be less prosperous, become a more dangerous place to live and have a worse system of government.

But the questions we can track over time indicate that the nation’s expectations for the future have improved in recent years. Since 2023, there has been a 13 percentage point rise in the share of Americans who say the U.S. will be more important in the world by 2050. There also has been a 12-point increase in the share saying the country will be less politically divided and an 11-point rise in the share who expect the economy to grow stronger.

### Compared with 2023, more Americans now say they think U.S. economy and America’s place in the world will be stronger by 2050

*% of U.S. adults who say that by the year 2050 …*

| Year | Race relations will improve | U.S. economy will be stronger | U.S. will be more important in the world | The country will be less politically divided |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2018 | 51% | 38% | 31% | 26% |
| 2023 | -- | 32% | 27% | 21% |
| 2026 | 50% | 43% | 40% | 33% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.

(We did not ask the question about race relations in the 2023 survey, and we have never previously asked the questions about how government works or whether the U.S. will be a safer place to live in 2050.)

### National mood linked with partisanship

The way people view the state of the nation is often linked with their political allegiances. Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party tend to express very different views from Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, and this aligns with who is in the White House.

For instance, during both the first and second Trump administrations, more Republicans than Democrats have expressed satisfaction with the way things are going in the country. By contrast, during both the Obama and Biden administrations, more Democrats than Republicans were content with the country’s direction.

Looking back further, Republicans also expressed higher levels of satisfaction than Democrats during the George W. Bush administration, while Democrats were consistently more satisfied than Republicans during the Clinton administration.

### Republicans more satisfied with direction of country when GOP controls the White House, Democrats more satisfied during Democratic administrations

*% of U.S. adults who say they are satisfied with the way things are going in this country today*

| End field date | Rep/lean Rep | Dem/lean Dem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 11/10/91 | 47 | 22 |
| 1/6/92 | 43 | 14 |
| 1/6/93 | 42 | 38 |
| 5/27/93 | 16 | 30 |
| 9/15/93 | 14 | 27 |
| 10/15/93 | -- | -- |
| 3/21/94 | 14 | 34 |
| 7/27/94 | 19 | 29 |
| 4/9/95 | 21 | 27 |
| 6/11/95 | 23 | 29 |
| 10/30/95 | 20 | 28 |
| 3/31/96 | 24 | 32 |
| 7/28/96 | 22 | 37 |
| 1/12/97 | 32 | 46 |
| 8/10/97 | 46 | 56 |
| 9/11/97 | 35 | 56 |
| 1/18/98 | 41 | 51 |
| 2/2/98 | -- | -- |
| 8/2/98 | 43 | 59 |
| 8/24/98 | 47 | 64 |
| 9/10/98 | 44 | 64 |
| 11/19/98 | 40 | 53 |
| 1/17/99 | 47 | 58 |
| 9/9/99 | -- | -- |
| 5/13/00 | -- | -- |
| 6/28/00 | 40 | 55 |
| 9/10/00 | 43 | 60 |
| 1/7/01 | 47 | 63 |
| 2/19/01 | 54 | 42 |
| 3/18/01 | 54 | 42 |
| 6/17/01 | 56 | 35 |
| 9/4/01 | 57 | 31 |
| 9/25/01 | 68 | 49 |
| 3/10/02 | 62 | 42 |
| 5/16/02 | 53 | 39 |
| 8/25/02 | -- | -- |
| 9/15/02 | -- | -- |
| 11/10/02 | 56 | 29 |
| 1/12/03 | -- | -- |
| 4/16/03 | 74 | 34 |
| 8/5/03 | 61 | 26 |
| 10/20/03 | 55 | 23 |
| 12/17/03 | 69 | 25 |
| 1/15/04 | -- | -- |
| 2/29/04 | 60 | 21 |
| 5/9/04 | 56 | 16 |
| 7/18/04 | 64 | 19 |
| 10/15/04 | -- | -- |
| 12/15/04 | 65 | 16 |
| 1/9/05 | 66 | 17 |
| 2/21/05 | 63 | 18 |
| 5/28/05 | -- | -- |
| 7/18/05 | 58 | 17 |
| 10/10/05 | 52 | 14 |
| 11/27/05 | -- | -- |
| 1/8/06 | 59 | 17 |
| 3/6/06 | 58 | 14 |
| 5/15/06 | -- | -- |
| 7/19/06 | 50 | 15 |
| 10/4/06 | 56 | 11 |
| 11/12/06 | 49 | 17 |
| 12/10/06 | 50 | 14 |
| 1/9/07 | 53 | 15 |
| 1/15/07 | 56 | 17 |
| 2/15/07 | -- | -- |
| 10/23/07 | 43 | 20 |
| 12/30/07 | 42 | 17 |
| 2/2/08 | 36 | 16 |
| 3/15/08 | -- | -- |
| 5/25/08 | 28 | 10 |
| 6/29/08 | 29 | 12 |
| 7/27/08 | 29 | 13 |
| 8/10/08 | 29 | 15 |
| 9/14/08 | 40 | 14 |
| 10/12/08 | 18 | 6 |
| 12/8/08 | 17 | 11 |
| 1/11/09 | 23 | 16 |
| 4/21/09 | 13 | 31 |
| 5/12/09 | 20 | 43 |
| 6/14/09 | 18 | 40 |
| 7/26/09 | 17 | 40 |
| 8/17/09 | 16 | 41 |
| 8/27/09 | 14 | 43 |
| 9/15/09 | 19 | 41 |
| 10/4/09 | 12 | 37 |
| 11/8/09 | 17 | 34 |
| 1/10/10 | 14 | 40 |
| 2/9/10 | 13 | 32 |
| 3/14/10 | 12 | 33 |
| 3/21/10 | 16 | 34 |
| 4/5/10 | -- | -- |
| 4/26/10 | 15 | 43 |
| 5/16/10 | -- | -- |
| 6/27/10 | -- | -- |
| 9/6/10 | 13 | 35 |
| 9/26/10 | -- | -- |
| 11/7/10 | 13 | 33 |
| 12/5/10 | 11 | 26 |
| 1/9/11 | 15 | 31 |
| 2/7/11 | 14 | 38 |
| 3/14/11 | 15 | 28 |
| 5/2/11 | -- | -- |
| 5/8/11 | -- | -- |
| 6/19/11 | 14 | 32 |
| 7/24/11 | 8 | 25 |
| 8/21/11 | 13 | 20 |
| 10/4/11 | 9 | 25 |
| 1/16/12 | 12 | 31 |
| 2/12/12 | 11 | 42 |
| 4/15/12 | 13 | 34 |
| 6/3/12 | 13 | 44 |
| 6/17/12 | 15 | 39 |
| 7/9/12 | 15 | 44 |
| 10/21/12 | -- | -- |
| 12/9/12 | 13 | 48 |
| 12/19/12 | -- | -- |
| 1/13/13 | 13 | 44 |
| 2/18/13 | 13 | 47 |
| 5/5/13 | 18 | 40 |
| 7/21/13 | 14 | 39 |
| 10/13/13 | 7 | 20 |
| 11/6/13 | -- | -- |
| 1/19/14 | 16 | 37 |
| 2/26/14 | 17 | 38 |
| 4/27/14 | 15 | 43 |
| 7/14/14 | 13 | 43 |
| 8/24/14 | -- | -- |
| 9/9/14 | 11 | 38 |
| 10/20/14 | 15 | 40 |
| 11/9/14 | 15 | 40 |
| 12/7/14 | 12 | 38 |
| 1/11/15 | 13 | 47 |
| 2/22/15 | 15 | 51 |
| 3/29/15 | 15 | 45 |
| 5/18/15 | 15 | 41 |
| 7/20/15 | 14 | 46 |
| 9/27/15 | 12 | 41 |
| 10/4/15 | 15 | 41 |
| 12/13/15 | 15 | 36 |
| 1/14/16 | 10 | 42 |
| 3/26/16 | 13 | 46 |
| 4/19/16 | 13 | 40 |
| 6/26/16 | 8 | 38 |
| 8/16/16 | 12 | 49 |
| 10/25/16 | 11 | 52 |
| 12/5/16 | 21 | 37 |
| 1/9/17 | 24 | 33 |
| 2/12/17 | 49 | 16 |
| 4/11/17 | 49 | 16 |
| 7/9/17 | 49 | 11 |
| 10/30/17 | 43 | 14 |
| 12/4/17 | 49 | 15 |
| 1/15/18 | 59 | 14 |
| 3/14/18 | 53 | 9 |
| 5/1/18 | 57 | 15 |
| 6/12/18 | 60 | 15 |
| 9/24/18 | 59 | 14 |
| 8/4/19 | 50 | 9 |
| 10/13/19 | 46 | 12 |
| 11/11/19 | 49 | 16 |
| 3/24/20 | 58 | 12 |
| 4/12/20 | 55 | 10 |
| 6/22/20 | 19 | 7 |
| 8/2/20 | 18 | 7 |
| 10/5/20 | 30 | 7 |
| 11/17/20 | 23 | 22 |
| 3/7/21 | 17 | 47 |
| 9/19/21 | 12 | 38 |
| 9/26/21 | 10 | 38 |
| 1/17/22 | 10 | 29 |
| 5/1/22 | 10 | 35 |
| 8/14/22 | 10 | 24 |
| 10/16/22 | 9 | 31 |
| 11/27/22 | 10 | 39 |
| 1/24/23 | 11 | 32 |
| 4/2/23 | 9 | 29 |
| 6/11/23 | 11 | 32 |
| 7/16/23 | 10 | 35 |
| 12/3/23 | 11 | 35 |
| 1/21/24 | 10 | 32 |
| 5/19/24 | 10 | 34 |
| 7/7/24 | 8 | 27 |
| 8/11/24 | 10 | 39 |
| 10/6/24 | 10 | 38 |
| 11/17/24 | 35 | 24 |
| 2/2/25 | 65 | 12 |
| 3/16/25 | 60 | 9 |
| 5/4/25 | 58 | 8 |
| 8/10/25 | 60 | 11 |
| 10/16/25 | 48 | 8 |
| 1/26/26 | 54 | 8 |

Source: Pew Research Center surveys, November 1991-January 2026. Surveys from 1991-2018 were conducted by telephone; surveys from 2019 and later were conducted mainly online among respondents in the Center’s American Trends Panel.

People in both partisan coalitions also tend to express more optimism about the year ahead when their favored party controls the White House.

### Republicans and Democrats are more optimistic about the year ahead when their party controls the White House

*% of U.S. adults who say they think the year ahead will be better than the year just ended*

|  | Rep/lean Rep | Dem/lean Dem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2020 | 78% | 36% |
| 2021 | 48% | 83% |
| 2022 | 46% | 71% |
| 2023 | 43% | 71% |
| 2024 | 43% | 66% |
| 2025 | 89% | 21% |
| 2026 | 77% | 25% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026.

And Americans generally have been more inclined to say their side is “winning” on the political issues that matter to them when their party has the presidency than when the opposing party controls the White House.

The swings on this question are especially pronounced among Republicans. Just 15% of Republicans thought their side was winning more often than losing during the last year of the Biden administration, but this jumped to 60% following the first year of Trump’s second term. By comparison, fewer than half of Democrats have felt like their side is winning even during Democratic administrations.

### Whether people think their side has been winning in politics linked with who’s in the White House

*% of U.S. adults who say they think their side has been winning more often than losing on the political issues that matter to them*

|  | Rep/lean Rep | Dem/lean Dem |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2016 | 22% | 47% |
| 2018 | 44% | 20% |
| 2019 | 54% | 19% |
| 2020 | 69% | 18% |
| 2021 | 22% | 36% |
| 2022 | 17% | 31% |
| 2024 | 15% | 36% |
| 2026 | 60% | 10% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026.

But Republicans and Democrats express similar views on some questions. When asked to look ahead to 2050, most people in both parties think the country will be more politically divided than it is today. And roughly similar shares in both parties say they think the U.S. system of government will work worse than it does today.

### Most people in both parties expect the U.S. to be more politically divided by 2050

*Looking ahead 25 years, % of U.S. adults who say that by the year 2050 ...*

|  | The country will be less politically divided | The country will be more politically divided | The U.S. system of government will work better than today | The U.S. system of government will work worse than today |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rep/lean Rep | 32% | 66% | 48% | 51% |
| Dem/lean Dem | 34% | 65% | 43% | 55% |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.

### Age gaps in the nation’s mood

When asked to look ahead to what things will be like in the U.S. in 2050, the nation’s youngest adults tend to express more pessimistic views than the country’s older adults.

For example, compared with people ages 65 and older, fewer adults under age 30 say race relations will improve, the government will work better or the economy will be stronger. Young adults are also less inclined than older people to say that overall, they are optimistic when they think ahead to 2050.

### Looking ahead to 2050, the youngest adults tend to be less optimistic than the oldest adults

*Looking ahead 25 years, % of U.S. adults who say that by 2050 …*

|  | Ages 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Race relations will improve | 43% | 47% | 50% | 58% |
| They are very/somewhat optimistic | 42% | 46% | 51% | 55% |
| The U.S. system of government will work better | 37% | 42% | 46% | 53% |
| The U.S. economy will be stronger | 36% | 41% | 45% | 50% |
| The U.S. will be a safer place to live | 37% | 39% | 42% | 48% |
| The U.S. will be more important in the world | 41% | 35% | 42% | 42% |
| The country will be less politically divided | 24% | 31% | 35% | 41% |

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted April 6-12, 2026.

On a variety of other questions, though, the differences between age groups are muted. Young people are not substantially different from older adults in overall levels of satisfaction with how things are going in the country, for example. And people ages 18 to 29 express higher levels of happiness about the future than those 65 and older.

### Adults under age 30 and those 65 and older express similar levels of satisfaction with how things are going in the country

*% of U.S. adults who say …*

|  | Ages 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| They are satisfied with the way things are going in the country | 28% | 27% | 33% | 31% |
| The country’s best years are ahead of us | 41% | 34% | 46% | 42% |
| They are hopeful about the future | 66% | 66% | 68% | 71% |
| They are happy about the future | 59% | 56% | 54% | 48% |
| Their side is winning more than losing in politics | 33% | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| The year ahead will be better than last year | 52% | 47% | 54% | 49% |

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults. Questions about satisfaction with the way things are going in the country, whether one’s side is winning in politics and outlook for the year ahead come from a survey conducted Jan. 20-26, 2026. Question about whether the country’s best years are behind us comes from a survey conducted Dec. 8-14, 2025. Questions about hope and happiness for the future come from a survey conducted July 8-Aug. 3, 2025.

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**Next:** [Acknowledgments](https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/06/12/national-mood-acknowledgments.md)