U.S. — A recent poll sponsored by More Perfect found that approximately two-thirds of Americans identify the expansion of rights as the country's greatest achievement. The poll utilized an open-ended question format to gather responses.

About one-sixth of respondents cited military or diplomatic achievements as the nation's greatest, while another one-sixth identified scientific or economic accomplishments. More Perfect is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization focused on advancing democracy.

Many responses focused on historical movements related to civil liberties. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, formally ended slavery in the U.S., liberating more than 4 million enslaved people. A Texas man described the abolition of slavery as a "magnificent achievement for us. I think one of our strengths was we used to make laws to help people." A woman in her 50s added, "It was a great thing because it gave freedom for everyone. Everybody has equal rights." She also stated, "Everybody [has] the same chance to achieve and think and speak your opinion. You have a right to speak, to work. You have a right to education, everything."

Other instances of rights expansion cited include the 19th Amendment, which passed in 1920 to expand voting rights to women nationally. A California woman specifically mentioned, "When the women got the right to vote." She further noted, "There's more opportunity to further people's education than there used to be. I am an educator. I can see the difference from when I started in the '70s. There's more money for scholarships, more opportunity to get a good education." Title IX was enacted in 1972 and prohibited gender-based discrimination in federally funded institutions.

Military achievements were also noted by respondents. A Washington state man in his mid-60s, identifying as a Republican, recognized the U.S. victory in World War II as a top achievement. He said, "The war preserved our values — it changed the direction of the world, and it helped preserve our Western values." He added, "If we had lost, freedom would have been lost. You look at what was being offered by Hitler and Mussolini and all of them — it's the opposite of that. It's being dictated to by a dictator." He also said, "It's the essence of freedom that was won. You kind of just go back to democracy won over fascism." A Tennessee man in his early 30s also cited winning World War II, stating, "Back-to-back being World War champs. We set the standing that the U.S. is the big daddy of the world and you shouldn't mess with us." He added, "So help me God, somebody else will raise your sons and your daughters."

Scientific and technological advancements were also recognized. A Massachusetts man in his 40s emphasized both technological and democratic achievements. He said, "The U.S. is a country of remarkable technological and democratic achievement." He further stated, "I think that we marked both our status as one of the world's greatest and most stable democracies and the fruits of technological advancement that it has wrought."

Why It Matters

The poll's findings offer insight into how Americans perceive the nation's most noted achievements, with an overwhelming majority pointing to foundational expansions of civil and human rights over time. This includes the abolition of slavery in the 19th century and the extension of voting rights to women in the 20th century. While military and scientific accomplishments were mentioned, the focus on rights suggests a public valuation of societal progress in equality and freedom.