Poll Finds 82% Of Americans See Serious Threat To U.S. Democracy On 250th Birthday

As the United States marked its 250th birthday, a June NPR/PBS News/Marist survey found 82 percent of Americans believe there is a “serious threat” to the future of the country’s democracy, up from 78 percent in February.

“Failure is a central theme in American culture, and on its 250th birthday it faces, perhaps more than ever, the danger of the end of its democracy”

El País

The same survey reported that 32 percent of Americans say they are concerned about the state of the country amid the celebrations for its semiquincentennial, compared with 22 percent who are frustrated, 23 percent who are hopeful, and 22 percent who are proud.

El País

The poll also found that over eight-in-ten (82 percent) believe there is a “serious threat” to the future of the country’s democracy, with only 17 percent saying no such threat exists.

It further showed that 37 percent said Americans “may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track,” including 12 percent who strongly agreed.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey taken June 12 to June 15 reported that 77 percent of Americans think “there will be an increase in political violence in the U.S.” over the next five years.

International leaders marked America’s 250th birthday with tributes to freedom and democracy, as Israel joined “a wave of international tributes to the United States” on Saturday.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote on X, “250 years of freedom. 250 years of leadership. 250 years of inspiring the world,” and added, “Happy Independence Day from your friends in Israel.”

i24NEWS

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump and told the United States “ensures the freedom of the world,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cast the anniversary in wartime terms, thanking the United States for its backing against Russia and writing, “May the dreams of free people always triumph over the evil and hatred of those who seek to destroy freedom,”

Former US presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama used the anniversary to point to the unfinished work of American democracy, with Biden writing, “Happy 250th birthday, America. Our story isn’t finished.”

In an interview published by Ouest-France, historian Lauric Henneton said the United States will mark July 4 as the anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence and argued that the current president promotes “brute force.”

“Recent polling shows that the majority of Americans are pessimistic about the direction of the country on its 250th birthday, and believe the U”

Newsweek

Henneton described the Declaration of Independence as a text that proclaims the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and said it has since 1776 been “one of the cornerstones of American democracy.”

Under Donald Trump, Henneton said, “it is no longer really on the agenda,” and argued that the president’s vision of American power “no longer rests on leading by example, but on brute force.”

El País framed the 250th birthday as a moment when American culture’s theme of failure collides with “the danger of the end of its democracy.”

El País also argued that the Declaration of Independence, signed 250 years ago, is a landmark lesson of liberty, and said the current presidency of Donald Trump is trying to reverse it “with all means at its disposal.”