'Cautiously optimistic': Swing voters describe their view of America at 250

Are you proud to be an American? That's a question we posed to a group of swing voters from swing states, who have a history of voting for candidates from both major political parties. Their answers reflect a nuanced view of this country at a time of partisan polarization and widespread discontent. "The answer is yes," said John from Pennsylvania in a voice memo shared with NPR. "I am proud to be an American. It's a very imperfect country. There's a lot that still needs to be worked on, a lot that still needs to be done." Swing Shift These swing voters are adding high gas prices into their political calculations John is one of a dozen voters participating in a project called Swing Shift, where we regularly take the temperature of voters who could help decide the elections in 2026 and 2028. NPR agreed not to use the full names of these voters so they are able to speak more freely about politics. "Yes, I am and always have been proud to be an American," said Jason from North Carolina. "I would still say, yes, here, but with some slight embarrassment," said Wally from Georgia. "I'm proud to be an American," said Gerald, also from Georgia. "This is the greatest country on the planet Earth." "We live in the best country in the world," said Theresa from Pennsylvania. "We have democracy. We have freedom." "I do have some pride to be an American," said Evan from Wisconsin. "However, I also have a lot of shame." "Why shouldn't I be proud to be American?" asked Lee from Nevada. "I mean, we live in one of the best countries in the world." To mark America's 250th Anniversary, a new poll from NPR/PBS News/Marist asked that question and found a partisan divide in whether people express pride, and a divergence in intensity as well. Overall 65% of those surveyed say they are "proud" or "very proud" to be an American. But the partisan split is stark. 93% of Republicans are "proud" or "very proud" while that same sentiment is shared by only 45% of Democrats. . Loading... All over the country, with big fireworks shows and small backyard barbeques, Americans will mark the nation's 250th birthday today. To get a sense of how they are feeling about the country, we asked the swing voters for one word or phrase to describe how they feel about America's future. They are "uncertain," "concerned," "hopeful," "worried," "excited," and "cautiously optimistic." And then there's Lee, who has a new job, and his optimism is unqualified. "I think we're going to have a good future," he said. "Because, why wouldn't we?" Gerald, who voted for Presidents Obama and Biden but has gone all in on MAGA and President Trump, sees Democrats as a threat. "They try to take them basic freedoms away every single day," said Gerald. "If you give them a foot, they will take 10,000 miles. We cannot let up." Evan, who grew up Republican and voted Democratic for the first time in 2024, says he's worried about corruption. "The government is not working for people or the population anymore," Evan said. "They're working for themselves, corporations and other countries." Wally says that he voted unenthusiastically for Trump in 2024, but has since soured on him. He worries about corruption and a decline of trust in institutions. "I feel we're drifting further and further away from what we're founded on," said Wally. "America has turned into a free-for-all of sorts. People are anxious over the future, and we're seeing in the political sphere, elected officials essentially getting richer and richer off the backs of hardworking Americans and using their status to look after themselves and not their constituents." Two of the swing voters, without prompting, brought up artificial intelligence. "I'm worried what's going to happen, if we're going to let technology take over fundamentally who we are as human beings," said Theresa, adding "we need people to be in control, and we need people to be in control that are kind." John describes AI as "challenging and scary." But he also says he's hopeful it could be harnessed to cure cancer or something good. As he reflects on his own country, he's found perspective from an unlikely source: World Cup soccer fans and tourists. "They're amazed at our abundance. They're amazed at our beauty, our wealth," John said. "They're intrigued by our food. They're intrigued by our air conditioning." Jason, from North Carolina, says watching these fans "who are experiencing the United States for the first time themselves, and seeing everything from the volume of choices, to pricing, to the freedom of movement and speech and actions," has given him a new appreciation for what Americans have. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor