How is the USA, today?

The Fourth of July holds a variety of meanings for Americans. For some, it's the perfect opportunity to connect with family and friends for a midsummer celebration. For others, the holiday is a reminder of the values our country was built upon: freedom, liberty and justice.

For Paste BN breaking news reporter Terry Collins, the day means a chance to reflect on how the year is going: As we celebrate American's birth, what is the state of our democracy, economy, race relations and gun violence?

👋 Hi there. I'm Nicole Fallert, author of Your Week, a column just for Paste BN subscribers like you. This week, I caught up with Collins and Paste BN national political correspondent Phillip Bailey about their look at the state of the nation as we head into another election year.

But first, don't miss these stories made possible by your Paste BN subscription (and keep scrolling for more reads!):

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What is the state of the USA, today?

A few weeks ago, Collins was looking at the Paste BN logo. The words prompted a question in his mind: As Independence Day nears, what's happening in the USA, today?

To find the answer, he partnered with Bailey to produce a series of stories that encapsulates where our country stands ahead of the pivotal 2024 election cycle (which is already heating up). Their intent in the project is to "ring an alarm" about institutional problems persisting in American governance, providing a mid-2023 "report card" that explores how Americans feel the country is doing.

The result? Americans' feelings about their democracy are fraught, and a turning point is on the horizon.

"We are in an early campaign season right now, and I wonder what the state of this no-doubt contentious presidential campaign will look like," Collins said. "It's going to be unique to see how this plays out."

"I think America is at a particular crossroads," Bailey told me. "We have this brilliant document, the Constitution, drawn up by white men who likely didn't think the country would be what it is today. In their wisdom, they did not give us the framework to have a multiracial democracy. The question is: Can a country that was not intended to be one way operate in the way it is becoming?"

Collins and Bailey analyzed a new Paste BN/Suffolk University poll that found there is little excitement about the 2024 presidential front-runners, and there is a lingering alarm about U.S. institutions. In all, 7 out of 10 Americans agree with the statement that American democracy is "imperiled." Bailey said this statistic was "shocking," given it means U.S. governance is "irreparably harmed."

"The stories at their core challenge readers to think about what kind of democracy they want to have," Bailey said. "For that many people to think we have damaged our democracy beyond repair is alarming. So how do we pull back from that?"

It's not all doom and gloom, though. Collins and Bailey dug into state-level efforts to expand and protect voting access, which have occurred simultaneously with politically driven curbs on voting access. Bailey said he expects a "Lincoln moment" in the coming years in which Americans will rise to the occasion to reject threats to their democracy and stand against division.

As part of their report card, Bailey and Collins also looked at how conversations about reparations for Black Americans have dimmed since the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 spawned national activism for social justice. These would be programs that build back generational wealth denied to Black Americans for centuries, Bailey said. Collins says he anticipates the Biden administration will act on reparations within the coming months in an effort to appeal to Black voters — and take action beyond the polls.

"I think our unique point of view as African American journalists informs these stories," Bailey said. "The component we've never really dealt with in this country is we had a group of people working for free, and their labor was put into the wealth of other people and institutions. ... (Reparations are) going to be a thorny issue, but the reason it's taken off is there's a recognition that voting can only get you so far."

Check out the nation's report card

• What is the state of American democracy? As July Fourth nears, poll shows voters are worried.
• The economy: Is the US getting too expensive to live in? Many Americans worry about inflation.
• Are shootings really 'out of control'? Gun violence statistics to know this Fourth of July.
• 'Failed promises': Black Californians may soon get reparations. What would they be owed?

Thank you

Whatever the Fourth represents to you, I hope you have a safe and restful weekend with those who mean the most to you. Travel safely and be kind. Thank you for your continued support of our newsroom. Our ability to publish quality journalism matters in our democracy now more than ever.

As always, see you next week.

Nicole