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A recent global survey from the Pew Research Center found Americans are more likely than people in any of the 25 countries surveyed to say their fellow citizens have bad morals and ethics.
In fact, 53% of Americans say other Americans are morally bad.
Politics may play a role: Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their fellow Americans have bad morals.
This week we asked readers: Do you think Americans are becoming less moral—or just more judgmental of each other?
Here’s what they had to say…
“A capitalistic system is in danger of becoming less moral due to the pressure of human greed. It sometimes seems that the only thing that matters in our society is the bottom line of how much profit we make. However, we have passed laws that show increasing concern for individual well-being and the future of our planet. It is too soon to attempt to predict what the final outcome of the evolution of our species will be. American society is suffering from a lack of ethical and moral leadership at present, but we can hope that the pendulum will swing back in the near future.” — JoAnn Carlson
“Americans have become more judgmental.” — Laura Hoglund
“I think over the last few years, morals have declined. I believe this is due in large part to the influence of one person in particular, who sets a poor example through his behavior toward anyone who opposes him and is often especially rude and crude toward women. When he became president for a second time, he pardoned 1,200 violent insurrectionists—people who fought police and attempted to harm elected officials. His actions send a message to his followers that this kind of behavior is acceptable. His treatment of journalists, as well as foreign dignitaries, is often harsh and inappropriate, frequently involving public berating and belittling. He has mocked people with physical disabilities and spoke negatively about former naval captain and Sen. John McCain—who received many medals for bravery—saying he was not a hero “because he got captured.” During the recent return to the United States of fallen soldiers from Iran, he wore a baseball cap while saluting them. In my view, this reflects a lack of morals and dignity in someone looked up to by millions.” — Lynda Williams
“I believe the twisted Free State Project has taken New Hampshire’s traditional thrifty, “can-do” attitude and distorted it—leading some people to believe that all government is bad and that everyone should be able to fend for themselves. This has split our state into two groups: those who can live that way and those who cannot. As the ultra-wealthy leaders of this movement, along with anti-government, sovereign-citizen extremists, push to reduce or eliminate government spending and subsidies—and to cut or eliminate wealth taxes—property taxes, rents, and state fees continue to skyrocket, even as taxes on the largest corporations are reduced. Even as our property taxes rise, the GOP/Free State refrain remains the same: we must tighten our belts, rely on ourselves, and not ask the state or municipalities for support—even though we contribute so much to both. Those who cannot afford the rising cost of living, higher property taxes, or increasing rents are becoming more frustrated. It becomes easy to blame groups they already distrust—or have been told to distrust—by their political party. The level of mistrust in our country has grown, and those seeking power often exploit this division, contributing to a breakdown in our sense of shared national unity. Patriotism, in many cases, has become tribal. Quality public education has long been foundational to our democracy. Political forces in New Hampshire and across the country have spent decades defunding education, undermining its ability to fulfill its original purpose: creating an informed electorate. This helps explain why so many Americans struggle to understand how government works, or why some support actions that may conflict with constitutional principles. This, I believe, has been a long-term objective of a powerful few. However, I do not believe people are less moral overall. Humans are inherently social and tend to work together toward common goals. In my experience, most people are caring and helpful on an individual level. When united around a shared purpose, people can be an incredibly powerful force for good. We just need to find that common goal.” — Jen M.
“Wow, I just don’t believe that Americans are becoming more judgmental or less moral. But then again, I am an eternal optimist. There is certainly a divide in our country right now, driven by extremist politics and the tendency of for-profit, corporate media outlets to focus on bad news and negativity in their pursuit of ratings and profits. Given how much of that negativity we’re exposed to every day, I can understand how people might project that onto the broader population. In my personal interactions around New Hampshire and in Vermont, where I work, I experience tremendous kindness, friendliness, and generosity of spirit every day. Total strangers have gone out of their way to help me—whether it’s loading packages into my car, dealing with an issue under the hood at a gas station, or any number of other situations. I feel very fortunate to live in this area.” — Mary Langdon
“I totally agree. Trump is not the kind of role model that people should look up to. He shames our country every day and those who follow him should be ashamed because of the way he treats brown and black people. We were all treated right from wrong and this is wrong.” — Judee Teichert
