Poll: Most Americans think the U.S. has strayed from its founding principles

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, a new national survey has raised concerns about the country's adherence to its founding principles. According to a joint poll conducted by PBS News, NPR, and Marist, an overwhelming majority of Americans - 83% - believe the nation has strayed from the ideals that guided its creation. This sentiment is particularly stark among those who feel the country has "moved far away" from these principles, with nearly half of respondents - 47% - expressing this view. The poll's findings suggest a growing disconnect between the country's founding ideals and its current reality, sparking questions about America's identity and direction in its third century.

Most Americans believe the country has moved away from its founding principles as the nation prepares for its big 250th anniversary, a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds. Eighty-three percent of U.S. adults feel America has strayed from the ideals the country was founded on two-and-a-half centuries ago. Among them, close to half of Americans — 47% — say the U.S. has "moved far away" from these principles, joined by 36% who said America has "moved...