By — Dante Chinni, The Conversation Dante Chinni, The Conversation By — Ari Pinkus, The Conversation Ari Pinkus, The Conversation Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-survey-finds-more-than-two-thirds-of-americans-believe-their-country-is-in-decline Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New survey finds more than two-thirds of Americans believe their country is in decline Nation Oct 29, 2026 7:37 PM EDT This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Inflation is causing real economic pain. Worries about healthcare costs have jumped sharply. And 7 in 10 Americans believe the country is in decline. That is the landscape for the 2026 midterm election, according to a new survey from the American Communities Project at Michigan State University, which I direct. READ MORE: What our final poll before Election Day says about midterms and Trump The findings, which follow up previous data work the American Communities Project has done in 2023, 2024 and 2025, come from a survey of 2,155 American adults over two weeks in September 2026, conducted by the survey research firm SSRS, using an online panel and telephone, with a margin…
New survey finds more than two-thirds of Americans believe their country is in decline
In short
Economic hardship continues to dominate public concern, as nearly half of all surveyed adults report severe personal financial trouble directly caused by inflation. Younger demographics and minority populations are bearing the brunt of these sustained price increases. Meanwhile, widespread hospital closures and coverage losses have pushed healthcare costs to the forefront as the second most pressing domestic issue.
Key points
- Severe inflationary distress is disproportionately concentrated among Hispanic Americans,…: Severe inflationary distress is disproportionately concentrated among Hispanic Americans, Black Americans, and young adults aged 18 to 29.
- Growing dissatisfaction over healthcare access and insurance losses spans middle-income h…: Growing dissatisfaction over healthcare access and insurance losses spans middle-income households as well as minority communities.
- Rapidly worsening public sentiment signals an unsettled and gloomy electorate preparing t…: Rapidly worsening public sentiment signals an unsettled and gloomy electorate preparing to vote in the 2026 midterm election.