The Divided States of America, in 25 Charts

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http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/the-divided-states-of-america-in-25-charts/277303/

Six in 10 Americans believe the nation is more fragmented that it was during Vietnam, Watergate, and the Great Depression. Happy Fourth of July.

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...


...but that figure represents a slight increase in optimism over responses in recent years.



Six in 10 say the economy is on the wrong track, down from two-thirds in 2012...


...and economic issues, which are a less dire concern than they were a year ago, continue to outweigh other factors on the list of most important topics facing the country.