Americans still embrace core founding principles despite differences: Survey
A recent survey by the American Enterprise Institute reveals that Americans’ views on religion, family, and national identity have evolved over the past thirty years but still uphold core principles such as free speech, religious freedom, and equal prospect. Conducted among 5,306 adults, the survey compares current attitudes with those from 1998, showing broad support for longstanding ideals, though with notable differences across generations. Most respondents value teaching about how slavery and racial discrimination influenced U.S. history, with 63% emphasizing its importance, though perspectives vary between younger and older generations. While a majority still see Christianity’s role in America’s founding as significant, fewer prioritize LGBT issues in education. Parents today are more open to critical approaches to American history, with a decline in those viewing the nation as fundamentally good from 67% in 1998 to 42% in 2026, and a reduced concern about constant criticism of the country’s political and economic systems. The survey highlights ongoing debates over how America’s history and founding principles are taught, reflecting broader tensions about national identity. most Americans feel that more should be done to teach the ideas of the Founding Fathers and recognise that Americans often take their freedoms for granted.
Americans’ views on religion, family, and national identity have shifted significantly over the past three decades, yet they still embrace the same principles, according to a new survey from the American Enterprise Institute.
The survey, conducted among a random sample of 5,306 adults between Feb. 12-18 and published Tuesday, compared Americans’ attitudes to those recorded in 1998 and found broad support for many long-standing ideals.
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The findings showed that most Americans still embrace ideals such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equal opportunity.
The report also found that 63% of respondents said it was “very important” for high school students to learn how slavery and racial discrimination shaped U.S. history, though views on historical education varied by generation.
The survey also recognized generational differences. Generation Z was less likely than boomers to say “studying the history of Christianity in America was very important.”
Sixty-six percent of respondents said the role of Christianity in America’s founding was “very” or “somewhat important” to be taught in school. By contrast, only 17% of respondents said teaching LGBT identities and experiences was “very important.”
Compared with 1998, parents today are more likely to support a critical approach to teaching American history and civics. While 67% of parents in 1998 said it was essential for schools to teach that America is a fundamentally good country, that figure fell to 42% in 2026.
Similarly, three decades ago, 50% of parents with school-aged children said they would be upset if a teacher constantly criticized America’s political and economic system. Today, that number stands at 32%.
The survey noted that parents in 2026 are more willing to acknowledge historical injustices.
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AEI concluded that Americans continue to wrestle with competing narratives about the country’s history and identity, underscoring tensions over how the United States should understand and teach its founding principles.
“Both surveys tell us that Americans want more to be done to teach the ideas of the Founding Fathers because they believe we can learn from them. Most Americans (79 percent) also believe we take our freedoms for granted,” the organization said.
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