Americans Express Stark Distrust in Fellow Citizens' Morality in Global Survey
In a comprehensive 25-country survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, the United States has emerged with a troubling distinction. Americans were found to be more likely than any other nation surveyed to perceive their fellow citizens as "morally bad" people. This finding highlights a deep-seated skepticism within the U.S. population regarding the ethical character of their compatriots.
Survey Reveals Widespread Cynicism Among U.S. Adults
When participants worldwide were asked to rate the morality and ethics of people within their own countries last year, most expressed faith and trust in their fellow nationals. However, Americans stood out as an exception. According to the survey, a majority of U.S. adults—53%—described fellow Americans as morally bad, compared to only 47% who viewed them as morally good. This negative perception contrasts sharply with global trends where trust in national morality is more common.
Contrast Between General and Specific Moral Judgments
Jonathan Evans, the lead author of the Pew Research Center report, noted that what is particularly "striking" is that Americans are not uniformly negative about specific moral issues. "What we find is that the U.S. is often towards the middle of the pack," Evans explained. "So it's neither the country where the highest percentage are saying something is morally wrong, nor are they the least likely on all of these measures."
On contentious topics such as abortion and alcohol consumption, which other countries judge more harshly, the U.S. occupies a middle ground in terms of moral acceptability. Yet, when asked specifically about the overall morality and ethics of other Americans, respondents in the U.S. delivered the harshest assessments among all nations surveyed.
Political Polarization as a Key Factor
John Jost, a professor of psychology and politics at New York University, attributes the low moral ranking of the U.S. to intense political polarization. "My hypothesis would be that religious conservatives think that liberals and people who support sexual minorities are immoral and not living up to the religious standards they set for themselves," Jost said.
He added, "At the same time, I would hypothesize that liberals and progressives increasingly view Republicans in the era of Trump as immoral for completely different reasons, including concerns about corruption and anti-democratic behavior and the fact that many Trump supporters appear to be embracing far-right rhetoric that is racist, sexist, and overtly prejudiced in general."
Historical Context and Comparative Data
Since this is the first time the Pew Research Center has included this specific question in a survey, it remains unclear whether Americans have always held such bleak views compared to other nations. However, similar studies suggest this trend is not new. For instance, Gallup, which polls Americans annually on moral values, reported in 2025 that acceptance of behaviors like unmarried sex, abortion, or gender changes has declined from peaks measured a few years ago, indicating a broader shift toward less tolerance.
International Comparisons Highlight Stark Contrasts
While the U.S. judged the morality of fellow Americans poorly, countries like Canada and Indonesia ranked highest in believing their compatriots to be "morally good." Scott Schieman, a sociology professor at the University of Toronto who studies sentiments in both the U.S. and Canada and holds dual citizenship, points to political differences as a key reason for this disparity.
"In general, Canadians can be judgmental, but someone else's politics are not as personal as they are for Americans," Schieman observed. "They might personally not love it, but they don't necessarily live and breathe to bring it down. The questionable morality would be directed at elites or the government, but not necessarily other Canadians."
The Personal Nature of U.S. Politics
In contrast, Schieman emphasized that in the U.S., politics are deeply personal. "I think that political identity means a lot more in the U.S. than it does in Canada," he said. "There's more intense moral judgment for the other side." He cited examples such as political parties being described as "evil" and former President Donald Trump labeling the media as an "enemy of the people."
This personalization of political disagreements means that debates over issues like environmental policies can quickly devolve into personal attacks, with accusations like "but you're really a bad person" becoming common. This dynamic contributes to the overall negative perception of morality among Americans, as revealed in the Pew survey.
