The majority of Americans are proud but worry about direction of the country

American pride is strong, the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found – but nearly one third of Americans say they are worried about the direction the U.S. is headed in and almost half of Americans think the country has moved far away from the nation's founding principles. The way Americans are feeling about the country today is largely split along partisan, gender and generational lines. The survey of 1,340 respondents was conducted June 8-11 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points, meaning results could be about 3 points higher or lower. Respondents were surveyed online and by phone and text. NPR followed up with several poll participants about their thoughts about America ahead of the 250th anniversary. Majority proud to be American but believe the country has shifted away from founding ideals Even though some Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track, the majority say they're "proud" or "very proud" to be an American. Republicans were the most proud to be an American, with 93% stating they were proud and 65% reporting they were "very proud" Independents weren't far behind, with 61% saying they were proud The least proud were Democrats, with 45% responding they were proud David Walsh, 62, a retired teacher from New Jersey who identified as a Republican, said he feels very proud. Some of the liberties he appreciates are, "The ability to think how I want, to help out who I want and to try to do things that are good for me and others," he said. …