Washington Monthly essay says Americans want connection over division

A new Washington Monthly article by Dr. Gail C. Christopher says U.S. voters are proud of the country’s ideals but increasingly doubt those ideals are being delivered in daily life. The piece, backed by National Collaborative for Health Equity survey data, argues that Americans want fairness, belonging and less conflict heading into the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Why it matters: - The article argues that the dominant story of a hopelessly divided America misses a larger public mood: most Americans still want belonging, fairness and trust. - The survey findings matter because they connect political division to daily stress over prices, wages, housing and health care. - The piece frames connection and racial healing as not just cultural goals, but public health and civic priorities.

What happened: - Washington Monthly published "The Heart of America Still Beats for Connection," an essay by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. - The article was published as the United States marked its 250th anniversary. - Christopher draws on NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey, a public opinion poll of 1,322 adults conducted online from May 28 to June 3 by pollster Shannon-Janean Currie of Empirica Advisors. - The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.70. - The full article is available here. - Full poll results are available here. - NCHE survey archives are available at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.

The details: - Sixty-two percent of Americans say they are proud to be American, down from 72 percent a year earlier. - Only 36 percent say the country is living up to its ideals of freedom, fairness and equal opportunity. - Fifty-two percent say the American Dream is out of reach. - Eighty-one percent cite grocery costs as a pressure point. - Seventy-five percent cite wages not keeping up with the cost of living. - Seventy-two percent cite health care costs. - Seventy-one percent cite housing costs. - Elder care is now a leading family pressure for 53 percent of respondents, ahead of childcare at 44 percent. - Christopher describes this gap as "ambivalent patriotism," meaning loyalty to country mixed with doubt that the country is keeping its promises. - Eighty-nine percent say the country needs leaders who are "transformers" who can move beyond labels and political tricks. - Eighty-three percent would support a leader who tries to unite people across disagreements. - Eighty-four percent say faith, kindness and empathy can help the country overcome differences. - Seventy-one percent say they remain hopeful the country can find lasting common ground. - Eighty-five percent say Americans are hungry to belong, connect and trust one another again. - Eighty-two percent say promoting workplace diversity is important to racial healing. - Seventy-four percent of Republicans, 79 percent of independents and 92 percent of Democrats agree on workplace diversity. - Eighty percent say reducing racial segregation in housing matters. - Ninety-two percent support teaching the full history of America, including slavery and racism. - Support for reparations has risen to 56 percent from 46 percent in 2023. - Christopher says the country needs four steps: tell a truer story, educate honestly, demand transformational leadership and make healing a cross-sector project. - She points to The Hero Next Door as an example of stories that can widen empathy; if you would like, I can replace this with the exact source URL once provided in the release.

Between the lines: - The essay pushes back on the idea that polarization is the only defining feature of American life. - Christopher’s interpretation is that many Americans are frustrated, not disengaged. - The piece argues that culture-war language can obscure deeper issues, including historical ideas that ranked human worth by race. - Christopher says Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free African Americans, Chinese and Mexican immigrants, and women have long resisted that false hierarchy. - The Minneapolis example in the article is used to show how some residents responded to ICE-related violence by protecting immigrant neighbors in sub-zero temperatures. - Christopher links constant exposure to culture-war narratives with chronic anxiety and fear, and says that dynamic can worsen chronic illness.

What’s next: - Christopher says the country should use the 250th anniversary as a moment to build "the America we actually want." - She argues that schools, media, public health, education and technology all shape whether the country moves toward healing or deeper division. - The essay ends by calling for cultural peace, civility, solidarity and fairness as the next national project. - NCHE will likely continue using its Heart of America surveys to track whether public appetite for connection holds up as politics and everyday costs remain under pressure.

The bottom line: - The article’s core claim is simple: Americans may be divided in politics, but they are united in wanting a country that feels fair, humane and connected.