A Great Nation Or What? Poll Responses Over Time

In 1955, the Gallup Organization asked Americans to suppose they were talking in a general way about the United States and other countries. The organization then asked which of three statements came closer to the respondent’s point of view. Two-thirds chose the response that the United States was the “greatest country in the world, better than all other countries in every possible way.” Thirty-one percent believed the US was “a great country but so are certain other countries.” And finally, 1% said that in many other respects, certain other countries were better than the US.

A version of this question has been asked occasionally by pollsters ever since. A 1998 survey of parents done for Public Agenda found 84% believed the United States was “a unique country that stands for something special in the world,” while 13% said the US is “just another country whose system is no better or worse than other countries.”

In 2011, the Pew Research Center began asking another version. That year, 38% responded that “the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world,” while 53% said the U.S. was “one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others.” Eight percent said there were other countries that were better than the U.S. The 38% response has been trending downward unevenly, and in 2024, using a different methodology, 20% said the US stands above, while 55% said there were other countries that were also great. Twenty-four percent said there were other countries that were better, three times as many as had given that response in 2011.

The Chicago Council for Global Affairs presents a binary choice: “Some people say the United States has a unique character that makes it the greatest country in the world. Others say that every country is unique, and the United States is no greater than other nations.” In 2012, 70% chose greatest country response, while 29% opted for the “no greater than other nations.” In 2023, the last time they asked the question, there was a big change in the no greater response: almost as many, 47%, chose it while 52% chose the greatest country. The Chicago Council looked at the responses by generations and found that majorities of the oldest generation, the Baby Boomers, and Gen X-ers all opted for the greatest response. Millennials, born in 1981 and beginning to come of age in the mid-1990s, were different. Just 40% of Millennials chose this response, and 59% opted for the no greater one. Other pollsters show the same generational differences with Millennials and younger generations more skeptical than their elders about the US’s role. The Council noted that racial and ethnic differences to the question were small.

In 2009 Barack Obama gave an interview in which he was asked whether he subscribed to the view of many of his predecessors that America was uniquely qualified to lead the world, that it was exceptional. He responded that he believed in American exceptionalism “just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism . . .” He went on to extol America’s great accomplishments and strong ideals, concluding that because we have a lot to offer that we should still recognize the values and ideals of other countries. Obama’s views are one of many factors that may have influenced members of younger generations. Their own coming of age experiences also have played a role.

Exceptionalism did not mean America was better; it meant that we were different, with a different history, some facets of which are unique. One of those unique characteristics is optimism. Even in these deeply polarized times, most Americans still believe America’s best days are ahead. Like the exceptionalism question, pollsters ask about optimism in different ways, and in most of them, including a new poll from Quinnipiac released last week, optimism beats pessimism. In the new poll, 53% said America’s best days were ahead, and 40% behind. Differences about presidents, policies, and priorities are real, but most Americans still believe the US is a force for good, a great country with problems and potential.