Washington Monthly essay says Americans want connection over division

A new Washington Monthly article by Dr. Gail C. Christopher argues that Americans remain attached to the country’s ideals even as many doubt those ideals are being delivered in daily life. The piece, based on NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey, says people want leaders, policies, and narratives that restore fairness, belonging, and trust.

Why it matters: - The article argues that the country’s political divide is not the full story. - Dr. Gail C. Christopher says most Americans still want belonging, fairness, and less anxiety in daily life. - The essay lands as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, a moment Christopher uses to push for a national reset.

What happened: - Washington Monthly published “The Heart of America Still Beats for Connection,” a new article by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. - The piece draws on NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey. - Christopher argues that Americans are “holding two truths at once”: pride in the country’s ideals and doubt that those ideals are being met. - The article says the dominant national narrative of polarization misses a quieter desire for connection.

The details: - Sixty-two percent of Americans say they are proud to be American, down from 72% a year earlier. - Only 36% believe 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 feel pressure from grocery costs. - Seventy-five percent say wages are failing to keep pace with the cost of living. - Seventy-two percent point to health care costs. - Seventy-one percent point to housing costs. - Elder care is now a bigger source of family pressure than childcare, cited by 53% versus 44%. - Eighty-nine percent say the country needs leaders who are “transformers.” - Eighty-three percent would support a leader who aims to unite people across disagreements. - Eighty-four percent say faith, kindness, and empathy can help America overcome differences. - Seventy-one percent 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 diversity in the workplace is important to racial healing. - Seventy-four percent of Republicans, 79% of Independents, and 92% of Democrats agree on workplace diversity’s role in racial healing. - 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%, up from 46% in 2023. - Christopher cites Minneapolis residents who stood outside in sub-zero temperatures to protect immigrant neighbors during ICE-related violence. - The article links chronic exposure to culture-war messaging with anxiety and fear, and says those forces can worsen chronic illness. - Christopher argues that “culture wars” can mask a deeper ideology that once ranked human worth by race. - The article says Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free African Americans, Chinese and Mexican immigrants, and women rejected that ideology.

Between the lines: - The survey suggests many Americans are frustrated, but not apathetic. - Christopher frames the moment as one of “ambivalent patriotism”: loyalty to country without confidence in its performance. - Her argument is that division is not just a political problem. It is also a public-health and social-trust problem. - The essay uses war stories and immigrant solidarity as examples of how shared experience can cut through labels and restore empathy.

What’s next: - Christopher lays out four steps: tell a truer story, educate honestly, demand transformational leadership, and make healing a cross-sector project. - She says education, public health, media, and technology all shape the stories people absorb and the conditions they live in. - The article calls for “cultural peace” instead of culture war. - The full article is here. - NCHE says full poll results are available online, and survey archives are at the Roper Center.

The bottom line: - Christopher’s message is that Americans are not asking for more division. They are asking for connection, fairness, and a country that better matches its ideals.