MethodologyThe AP-NORC poll of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20, 2026, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
We asked more than 2,500 Americans to describe the United States in one word.
A new survey asked 2,596 American adults to describe the United States using one word. Many used words like “freedom” – but others say the nation is “struggling” or referred to “corruption" to describe the country.
45 words~1 min read
