If your social media feed looks anything like mine, you’ve had a delightful scroll for the past few weeks of 2026 FIFA World Cup tourists from around the world loving America.
Football fanatics are documenting and sharing their Waffle House runs; the glory over portion sizes and unlimited soda refills WITH ICE; yellow school buses; Walmart, Buc-cees and Target; and the unbridled hospitality of everyone they seem to encounter – whether it’s a Boston policeman showing kilt-clad Scotsmen his soccer skills to or an Alabama hotel receptionist driving German fans to a stadium to save them car-share fare.
The theme running through these myriad posts is how exceptional the United States is to fresh eyes. There’s so much to love, so much country to see, so much to be proud of, so much readily available – and the possibilities seem endless. All of this feels like the appropriate tone to strike on the eve of America’s 250th birthday.
But some Americans need convincing.
American Exceptionalism, the concept that the United States’ pursuit of democracy, free enterprise and personal freedoms, in a land with vast natural resources and beauty, distinguishes us from the rest of the world and is something special to put on a pedestal, has waned a bit.
Pew Research Center surveyed more than 33,000 people in 25 countries on what made them proud of their countries. Of those countries, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Spain and the United States led the pack for negativity, with 20% of people responding they are not proud of their countries. In the U.S., respondents expressed pride in freedom but not in the country as a whole.
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research commissioned to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary paints a bleak picture of Americans’ impressions of their country.
In the poll, only about one third of the respondents said they thought the American Dream – the idea that a person could work hard and succeed in the United States – was still true. More than 50% of those polled said it was once true but no more. And 15% said was never true to begin with.
But there are bright spots. Though the American dream remains “unfinished” according to the majority of Americans polled by Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD)-Gallup American Dream Study, more than three-fourths of people polled thought it was still worth striving for. And 69% adults said that they believe they personally will achieve the dream.
So where does that leave us?
Every major city across America is marking July 4th with fireworks, parades and other festivities, celebrating America’s semisesquicentennial – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, breaking away from British rule and proclaiming that we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Those Founding Father fundamentals still ring true with Americans today.
These are prized values. But according to a recent PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, nearly 80% of Americans think we are moving away from those ideals in some way. Eighty-two percent say a serious threat to democracy exists.
So even as we celebrate our nation’s freedom, we have a lot to ponder.
The Gallup poll says more than a quarter of respondents think focusing on government and reforming the “political system to be more representative and responsive to all citizens” over the next half century is the way to ensure the American Dream can be achievable by future generations. The Marist Poll reports that more than half of Americans believe our “nation’s best days are ahead of us.”
I’m looking at you, America’s 300th – in 2076.
And we know from research in the Gulf South Index that satisfaction with our lot in life increases the closer we get to home.
I am also preparing to celebrate Independence Day in a midwestern locale – the World Cup host city of Kansas City, MO. I’m hoping to see and meet and connect with as many soccer fan as I can – especially from Colombia and Ghana, the two teams vying in the last of the Round of 32 matches the day before.
I can’t wait to share our uniquely American celebration with folks from every corner of the Earth, hear their impressions of our country and reflect on what they see. My goal is that it enhances my view of what makes us exceptional.
Catherine Koppel at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
Catherine Koppel Vice President of Media & Strategy The Ehrhardt Group
If your social media feed looks anything like mine, you’ve had a delightful scroll for the past few weeks of 2026 FIFA World Cup tourists from around the world loving America.
Football fanatics are documenting and sharing their Waffle House runs; the glory over portion sizes and unlimited soda refills WITH ICE; yellow school buses; Walmart, Buc-cees and Target; and the unbridled hospitality of everyone they seem to encounter – whether it’s a Boston policeman showing kilt-clad Scotsmen his soccer skills to or an Alabama hotel receptionist driving German fans to a stadium to save them car-share fare.
The theme running through these myriad posts is how exceptional the United States is to fresh eyes. There’s so much to love, so much country to see, so much to be proud of, so much readily available – and the possibilities seem endless. All of this feels like the appropriate tone to strike on the eve of America’s 250th birthday.
But some Americans need convincing.
American Exceptionalism, the concept that the United States’ pursuit of democracy, free enterprise and personal freedoms, in a land with vast natural resources and beauty, distinguishes us from the rest of the world and is something special to put on a pedestal, has waned a bit.
Pew Research Center surveyed more than 33,000 people in 25 countries on what made them proud of their countries. Of those countries, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Spain and the United States led the pack for negativity, with 20% of people responding they are not proud of their countries. In the U.S., respondents expressed pride in freedom but not in the country as a whole.
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research commissioned to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary paints a bleak picture of Americans’ impressions of their country.
In the poll, only about one third of the respondents said they thought the American Dream – the idea that a person could work hard and succeed in the United States – was still true. More than 50% of those polled said it was once true but no more. And 15% said was never true to begin with.
But there are bright spots. Though the American dream remains “unfinished” according to the majority of Americans polled by Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD)-Gallup American Dream Study, more than three-fourths of people polled thought it was still worth striving for. And 69% adults said that they believe they personally will achieve the dream.
So where does that leave us?
Every major city across America is marking July 4th with fireworks, parades and other festivities, celebrating America’s semisesquicentennial – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, breaking away from British rule and proclaiming that we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Those Founding Father fundamentals still ring true with Americans today.
According to Pew, we are unified in our love of freedom – for whatever it means to us individually. AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research says more than 85% of respondents overwhelmingly see freedom of speech and the right to vote as important, and a majority of people value the right to practice religion freely.
These are prized values. But according to a recent PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, nearly 80% of Americans think we are moving away from those ideals in some way. Eighty-two percent say a serious threat to democracy exists.
So even as we celebrate our nation’s freedom, we have a lot to ponder.
The Gallup poll says more than a quarter of respondents think focusing on government and reforming the “political system to be more representative and responsive to all citizens” over the next half century is the way to ensure the American Dream can be achievable by future generations. The Marist Poll reports that more than half of Americans believe our “nation’s best days are ahead of us.”
I’m looking at you, America’s 300th – in 2076.
And we know from research in the Gulf South Index that satisfaction with our lot in life increases the closer we get to home.
For now, I’m reveling in watching Japanese tourists coining Texas’ future tourism tagline “Texas is good. Everything is big!” on Instagram and reading about Dutch supporters discovering sprawling midwestern suburbs in the Wall Street Journal.
I am also preparing to celebrate Independence Day in a midwestern locale – the World Cup host city of Kansas City, MO. I’m hoping to see and meet and connect with as many soccer fan as I can – especially from Colombia and Ghana, the two teams vying in the last of the Round of 32 matches the day before.
I can’t wait to share our uniquely American celebration with folks from every corner of the Earth, hear their impressions of our country and reflect on what they see. My goal is that it enhances my view of what makes us exceptional.
Catherine Koppel
Vice President of Media & Strategy
The Ehrhardt Group