Record Number of Americans Think The Country Is On The 'Right Track'

For the first time ever, Rasmussen Reports released polling that revealed a positive increase in Americans who believe the country is on the "right track." Roughly 47% feel this way -- the highest it's been in about two decades -- leaving researchers at a loss for words. The question is this, "Washington Watch" guest host Jody Hice posed on Friday's "Washington Watch," "Is there a specific reason for the change?" If so, what could it be?

In September, 2024, only 28% of surveyed Americans felt the country was on the "right track." Last year was also the first time since 2022 the number of pessimistic Americans fell below 70%. Even then, a solid 65% still believed America was on the "wrong track." Concerning the most recent findings, Rasmussen's chief pollster Mark Mitchell, who also joined Friday's show, explained that a lot of what this data highlights is "an incredible environment out there for public opinion."

"I never predicted anything like this would happen," he said. As Mitchell went on to explain that the tide is turning in "this red team, blue team dichotomy," politically speaking. "Right now," he explained, "it looks like ... an existential crisis for D.C.," especially for the "unelected powers that have been doing what they want. ... They've lost the ability to control ... and Americans are the happiest they've ever been."

As for the "right" or "wrong track" discussion, Hice asked, "Is this purely political? Is it economic? What do we mean when we're saying, 'Is America on the right track?'" According to Mitchell, it's simply an "additional measurement of happiness." He pointed out that the question is intentionally straightforward, "and the reason it's so powerful is just because everybody asks it" -- most Americans care about the state of their country to some extent. "We have so much history," he added, "and the fact that the positive results have never been above 50% in all of our polling history is kind of sad, because you'd want, in a representative democracy, to try and maximize that number."

With positive feelings at an all-time high, Mitchell continued to explain that Americans don't seem to understand the scope of this change. Ultimately, "this could be a fundamental reformation of all kind of politics." In fact, these eye-catching statistics come after President Donald Trump "received his highest approval rating ever, with 53% of respondents approving of his work to this point." In addition to this, "70% of participants -- regardless of whether they support Trump -- agree that the president is doing what he promised to do."

And as Mitchell pointed out, this also comes as many mainstream "news outlets ... gaslit too much ... pushed it too far and ... completely lost their power." President Trump, he stated, has "carte blanche in a way I don't think any politician in my lifetime has."

During the biblical worldview segment of Friday's "Washington Watch," Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview David Closson also weighed in on this topic. "The way I look at it," Closson said, "is I think this is ... vindication or validation, so to speak, for the first month or so of the Trump presidency. ... The average American appreciates ... seeing strong leadership in the Oval Office." Even though "we're still early in the first 100 days," it seems clear that the findings coming out of Rasmussen likely reflect how a "lot of the policies and decisions that [the Trump administration is] making are resonating with the American people."

If that's true from a conservative point of view, Hice asked what it means from a biblical worldview. "Certainly Christians' understanding of the 'right track' would be different from someone else," he stated. "Are we on the right track from a Christian or biblical worldview?"

"Well," Closson responded, "that's a deeper level question." Ultimately, "as Christians, we don't just say the nation is on the right track because of economic indicators or political power, or even cultural trends. ... As Christians, we want the nation to be aligning with God's moral order."

Closson referred to Proverbs 14:34, which says that "righteousness exalts a nation." As such, "for Christians ... to kind of get excited that the nation is on the right track, we would want to see a nation where justice is being upheld. We would want to see a nation where life is protected, where religious liberty and the ability to live out our faith is protected, and where truth is promoted." If America is to be "on track" biblically, Closson contended, then it's going to be "where we see those things happening."

He added, "We want to see return to creation order." But right now, "creation order is being inverted, and we're seeing moral confusion ... and moral compromise." From a Christian worldview, those are "indications that a nation is on the wrong track." However, Closson highlighted how when it comes to the Trump administration, it's good to look "at the logic embedded in some of these executive orders." 

For instance, Trump has signed orders "protecting life ... and defining sex according to biology, according to creation order." What's most interesting about these developments, he suggested, is that "not only has there been a vibe shift" to conservativism, but that at the same time, "we are kind of getting back on track in a way that's consistent with the moral order."

As for whether America is on the right track biblically, Closson said the best thing to do is to pray. "I would just encourage ... us to be praying for kings and for officials in high places, that we may lead a godly and dignified life in every way," he said. "There's a lot going on. ... And President Trump and the folks that are around him here in D.C. and state legislatures ... are getting very busy ... introducing legislation." As Christians, "we should be praying for all of our leaders to make decisions that honor God, promote human flourishing.

"This is a great time to be praying," he concluded, "because there's so much to be praying about."

Originally published at The Washington Stand