Poll Finds 25% of U.S. Adults View Nation as Best in World
An AP-NORC survey conducted in April 2026 found that one-quarter of adults believe the United States stands above every other nation. The same poll recorded lower confidence in the American dream and low approval for President Donald Trump.
uctoday.comThe poll showed 44% view the country as one of several great nations, while 30% said other nations are better. The survey was conducted April 16-20 among 2,596 adults aged 18 and older across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Views on the American Dream Only 34% of respondents said the ideal that hard work enables advancement remains true. Fifty-one percent said the American dream once held true but no longer does, and 15% said it was never true. Political differences appeared in the responses.
Fifty-seven percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning adults said the American dream remains intact, compared with 17% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults.
Trump's overall approval rating stood at 33%, with 67% disapproval. Thirty percent approved of his handling of the economy while 70% disapproved. The poll reported a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The margin was plus or minus 4.3 points for Republicans including leaners and plus or minus 3.8 points for Democrats including leaners.
