American Exceptionalism

Americans believe that their country is great, but a majority would not say it is truly exceptional. A majority of the public (53%) says the United States “is one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others.” Fewer (38%) say that the U.S. “stands above all other countries in the world.” Still, only 8% of Americans say that “there are other countries that are better than the U.S.” There are wide partisan differences on the exceptionalism of the U.S. A majority of Republicans (52%) say the U.S. stands above all others, but only a third of Democrats and independents agree. There are also large age discrepancies. While half (50%) of adults ages 65 and older say the U.S. stands about all others, just 27% of adults ages 18 to 29 say the same. A 59%-majority of young adults, however, say the U.S. is among the greatest countries in the world. Among all demographic groups, very few — no more than about 10% — say that there are other countries that are better than the U.S. Read More