Washington Monthly article says Americans want connection over division

A new Washington Monthly essay by Dr. Gail C. Christopher argues that Americans remain attached to the country’s ideals even as they doubt those ideals are being met in daily life. Drawing on NCHE’s latest Heart of America survey, the piece says most Americans want fairness, belonging and less anxiety, not deeper polarization.

Why it matters: - The article argues that America’s political divide does not cancel out a broader public desire for belonging, fairness and trust. - The finding matters because NCHE ties that desire to policy, public health and how leaders talk about the country’s future. - The piece lands as the United States marks its 250th anniversary and debates over national identity intensify.

What happened: - Washington Monthly published "The Heart of America Still Beats for Connection," an article by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, executive director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity. - Christopher used NCHE’s 4th Annual Heart of America Survey to argue that Americans are “holding two truths at once.” - The survey found 62% 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. - Christopher describes the mood as “ambivalent patriotism,” or “attachment without satisfaction, loyalty without confidence.”

The details: - 52% of Americans say the American Dream is out of reach. - 81% report pressure from grocery costs. - 75% say wages are failing to keep pace with the cost of living. - 72% cite health care costs. - 71% cite housing costs. - 53% say elder care is a source of family pressure, ahead of childcare at 44%. - 89% say the country needs leaders who are “transformers.” - 83% would support a leader who aims to unite people across disagreements. - 84% say faith, kindness and empathy can help America overcome its differences. - 71% remain hopeful the country can find lasting common ground. - 85% say Americans are hungry to belong, connect and trust one another again. - 82% say promoting diversity in the workplace is important to racial healing. - Support for workplace diversity includes 74% of Republicans, 79% of Independents and 92% of Democrats. - 80% say reducing racial segregation in housing matters. - 92% support teaching the full history of America, including slavery and racism. - Support for reparations rose to 56%, up from 46% in 2023. - Christopher cites Minneapolis residents standing outside in sub-zero temperatures to protect immigrant neighbors during ICE-related violence as an example of community solidarity. - The article points readers to The Hero Next Door, a new book by ABC News chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz, as another example of shared humanity. - The article says “continuous exposure to the culture war narrative” generates chronic anxiety and fear, and links those emotions to chronic illness. - Christopher argues that culture-war language can mask a deeper ideology that ranked human worth by race from the 15th through the 20th century. - The article says Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free African Americans, Chinese and Mexican immigrants, and women resisted that ideology.

Between the lines: - The article pushes back against the familiar storyline that Americans are defined mainly by polarization. - Christopher’s argument is that division gets more attention than the quieter demand for civic repair. - The survey results suggest many Americans want structural fixes, not just symbolic unity. - The piece also frames health equity, housing, education and media as part of the same national problem.

What's next: - Christopher outlines four priorities for building “the America we actually want.” - The first is to tell a truer story that centers shared humanity. - The second is to teach the full history of the country, including protest, injustice and progress. - The third is to demand transformational leadership focused on housing, health care and wages. - The fourth is to make healing a cross-sector project spanning education, public health, media and technology. - Christopher says “Healing must become our shared national project.” - She closes by arguing that the country can replace “culture war” with “cultural peace” and move toward civility, solidarity and fairness.

The bottom line: - Christopher’s central claim is that most Americans are not asking for more conflict. - They are asking for connection, and the survey data says that impulse is broad, bipartisan and still strong.