Can American progress meet America’s noble ideals?

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence — stating, among other things, that all men are created equal, and that a legitimate government must protect the universal rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even a cursory look at American history will show that we have not yet realized this noble ideal.

A new poll from State Policy Network, where I am a fellow, provides a more exact measurement. Only 3 in 10 voters rate the nation’s performance on ensuring all Americans are treated equally as “good” or “excellent.” Furthermore, a greater number, 34 percent, say we are doing a poor or failing job at ensuring all Americans have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Americans think we are falling short on delivering the promise of our founding. This isn’t a partisan issue — Republicans and Democrats give the nation similarly low scores.

These low scores are striking in part because equality is such an important value to most Americans. More than 80 percent, across political affiliations, believe that all people are equal regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or other personal characteristics; that everyone deserves the chance to be successful; and that Americans should be free to live how they want. 

An additional question in the State Policy Network poll asked voters how much progress we have made since our nation’s founding on providing the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness to all. On this metric, two-thirds gave the country high marks — again with no differences between partisans. 

The variance between the responses to the two questions comes down to framing. When people think about the state of the nation today, they recall the news cycle, with stories of racial disparities in police abuse, clashes over the use of race in college admissions, debates about how and when gender-affirming care should be accessible, and public-school systems ignoring plans ensuring disabled students receive an education. Some pieces may be exaggerated for clicks, but many show heartbreaking glimpses into the real and complicated problems our nation grapples with. It is easy to feel as though we are further away from the original ideals of the nation than ever before.

But when looking backward, the progress America has made toward equality in the nearly 250 years since the Declaration of Independence is undeniable. We have abolished slavery, extended suffrage to all classes, races and genders. The Civil Rights Act, Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act further aimed to eliminate discrimination so all Americans could have equal opportunities. 

The change has been more than governmental. In 1958, just 38 percent of Americans said they would vote for a Black presidential candidate and only 4 percent approved of interracial marriage. Those numbers have grown to 96 and 94 percent, respectively. Over a shorter 35-year timeline, acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has grown from 32 percent to 79 percent. Since 1937, the number of Americans willing to vote for a woman for president has nearly tripled to 93 percent. Given our nation’s history, it’s hard to believe 7 percent of voters today say we have made “no progress at all” toward equality since the nation’s founding.

It is easy to dwell on the fact that our society has fallen short of a goal as lofty as “equality for all,” especially in an age where we have constant access to reports of bad actors and every unintentional misstep can be recorded on a cellphone and enshrined online forever. Indeed, we should take stock of those who are denied their rights to equal opportunity, and how, so we can continue our steady march of progress.

But this is a great time of year to pause and remember how far we have come and, more importantly and often overlooked, how unified we are in our desire to do better.

Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and Senior Messaging Strategist at State Policy Network.