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Ahead of this weekend’s Independence Day celebrations — with this year marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States — new polling suggests that most Americans believe the country has moved away from its founding principles, with an overwhelming number concerned that democracy is at risk of eroding.

According to an NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll conducted last month and published earlier this week, only 16 percent of Americans believe the country still represents its founding ideals. Thirty-six percent say the country has moved somewhat away from them, while 47 percent say it has strayed far away, demonstrating that more than 8 in 10 Americans feel the country is straying from its original principles.

One-third of respondents (35 percent) say they are not proud to be an American today. When given additional response options (other than “proud” or “not proud”), only 22 percent said they were “proud” of the country on its 250th anniversary, while 23 percent said they were “hopeful.” A majority of respondents had less than favorable responses to the question of how they felt about America, with 32 percent saying they are “worried” about the country’s future, and 22 percent saying they are “frustrated” with the current state of things.

Americans are also concerned about how their government will function in the days ahead. Eighty two percent of respondents agreed with the statement that there is a serious threat to the future of democracy. Only 17........

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