In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.It was the summer of 1986. America’s economy was booming. President Ronald Reagan’s approval sat at 63%, according to Gallup. Patriotism was on display, especially in our movies, with Tom Cruise’s Top Gun being the runaway No. 1 hit of the year. That year, Roper asked a simple question on a survey: Compared with the past, is the American dream easier or harder to attain? Just 45% said harder, with a majority believing that they could have a life that was as good or better than their parents’.
Forty years later, NBC News asked the same question, but the result is decidedly, and disturbingly, different: A record-high 78% feel the American dream is out of reach, with just 5% saying it is within reach and 16% saying the bar is about the same. These numbers may explain another NBC News poll result, which found just 12% of those who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024 said they are extremely proud to be American, while 90% of Republicans say they’re proud or extremely proud. Most of this is likely driven by hatred of President Donald Trump.It’s important to note that during the eight years of Barack Obama in the Oval, Republicans stayed around that 90% mark of being proud to be an American. They disagreed with Obama and Democrats in power, but their faith in American exceptionalism never wavered. The Democratic Party used to support working-class families in creating a level playing field, an economy that lifts all boats, or as the slogan of the 1996 presidential campaign of Bill Clinton said: “Opportunity. Responsibility. Community.” But things have changed. The party has abandoned any premise of talking about the issues and has become more about playing on voters’ emotions and victimhood and less about proposals to solve the issues impacting their constituents. Exhibit A is the myopic focus on the reflecting pool on the National Mall, which Trump pledged to clean up ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebration and the World Cup. At first, the draining and refilling of the pool was a success, with blue water, instead of algae-infested water, shining between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. But algae returned days later, sparking a media cycle dominated by mocking Trump for his effort to clean the reflecting pool. “In many cases, visitors appeared to gaze with more interest at the contents of the murky pool than toward the historic monuments reflected in its waters,” reports the New York Times. Pro-algae liberals have also been recorded speaking directly to the water. “Green Algae. Everybody’s proud of you. You are single-handedly doing more to fight fascism than any American has,” one woman with pink hair said to the fountain. A worker scrubs algae from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, June 19, 2026, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)
