Most Americans See Freedoms Under Threat, Core to Identity

WASHINGTON — Most Americans believe civil liberties like the right to vote and freedom of speech are under threat, yet they continue to view those same freedoms as central to the nation’s identity, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The survey of 2,596 U.S. adults, conducted April 16–20 as part of the “America 250” polling series, captures a nation grappling with deep anxieties about voting rights, free speech, religious freedom, and democratic institutions just weeks before the country’s semi-quincentennial celebration on July 4 and the 2026 midterm elections.

Rights Seen as Vital but Imperiled

About 9 in 10 Americans say the right to vote and freedom of speech are “extremely” or “very” important to the United States’ identity, according to AP News. Roughly 8 in 10 say the same about freedom of religion, while about 6 in 10 consider the right to bear arms highly important.

Yet those same principles are widely seen as endangered. About two-thirds of Americans view the right to vote as under some threat — with one-third calling it a “major threat” and about 3 in 10 a “minor threat.” Only about one-third say voting rights face “no threat at all.”

Nearly half of Americans say freedom of speech is under major threat, followed by about 3 in 10 who say the same about gun rights and religious freedom.

“Our idea of rights has been very consistent in this country until the last few years,” said Louise Rochon, 85, of Connecticut. “Now, they’re all under threat. Every single last one of them.”

Black Americans Express Heightened Concern

The poll reveals distinct perspectives among Black Americans, rooted in the country’s long history of denying voting rights and full citizenship to people of African descent. About 4 in 10 Black Americans say the right to vote is facing a “major” threat — higher than any other racial group.

Black Americans are also less likely than white Americans to say the right to vote is “extremely” or “very important” to American identity — about three-quarters compared with about 9 in 10 white Americans.

“You cannot feel like you are a total and full part of the American experiment unless you have the right to vote,” said Antonio Williams, a school administrator in Dallas, Texas, who is Black. “And African Americans didn’t fully get to enjoy the right to vote until about 60 years ago, and I feel like it’s under threat right now.”

Generational and Partisan Divides

Younger Americans express markedly less attachment to traditional American identity markers. Only about half of Americans under 30 believe a democratically elected government is highly important to the U.S.’s identity, compared with 81% of those 60 and older. About 44% of adults under 30 say there are better countries than the U.S., compared with 22% of those 60 and older.

“I think we feel more like our voice doesn’t matter as much because it feels like we’ve grown up with our rights sort of being more ignored,” said Julian Goodwin-Ferris, 28, a professional dancer from New Jersey.

Partisan divisions are equally stark. About 6 in 10 Democrats say freedom of speech is facing a “major threat,” compared with about 4 in 10 independents and roughly one-third of Republicans. Conversely, about 8 in 10 Republicans say the right to bear arms is highly important to national identity, compared with only about 4 in 10 Democrats.

The American Dream Under Strain

The poll also found that only one-third of Americans believe the American Dream — the idea that hard work leads to success — still holds true. Half say it once held true but does not anymore, while 15% say it has never been true. Republicans (57%) are more than twice as likely as independents (24%) or Democrats (17%) to believe the American Dream still holds true.

Broader Concerns About Democracy

The findings align with a parallel Reuters/Ipsos poll published June 16, which found that 67% of Americans agree American democracy is in danger of failing — up from 57% in August 2025 — and that 38% doubt the U.S. will exist as a single country in another 250 years, as reported by The Independent. The same poll found 77% believe political violence is likely to increase over the next five years.

Meanwhile, a companion AP-NORC poll published June 8 found that only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries, down significantly from previous years. About two-thirds say a democratically elected government is highly important to U.S. identity, down from 80% in 2021.

What to Watch

The poll was conducted before a recent Supreme Court ruling that further narrowed the Voting Rights Act, meaning public perception may shift further as the implications become clear. With the July 4 semi-quincentennial approaching and midterm elections on the horizon, these findings raise critical questions about whether the nation’s founding ideals can bridge its deepening divides — or whether the gap between what Americans value and what they believe is secure will continue to widen.

The AP-NORC poll was conducted using NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.