The Divided States of America, in 25 Charts [View all]
Every day we hear about how society is splitting apart -- a polarized Congress, a fragmented media market, a persistent schism among Americans over social issues. But really, how bad are the divisions?
They're pretty bad, according to the results of The Atlantic/Aspen Institute American Values Survey released today. "As American approaches its 237th birthday, it's feeling quite a bit more "pluribus" than "unum," say Don Baer and Mark Penn elsewhere on this site, in their full analysis of the survey results. Below, find a visual summary of the findings of the poll.
Just 35 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction...
Six in 10 say America has grown more divided in the last decade...
...and Americans believe we are more divided today than at any time since the Great Depression -- with the exception of the Civil Rights era.
Equal opportunity and freedom of speech play the biggest role in unifying America...
...while blame for division falls mostly on Washington and its leaders.
See the rest of the charts at the Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/the-divided-states-of-america-in-25-charts/277303/