Sadat Chair Shares Poll Findings on American Identities, Values and Opinions

Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development released findings from two of its 2026 University of Maryland Critical Issues Polls

In a new report, Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development Shibley Telhami, director of University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll, discusses how Americans have prioritized different aspects of their identity over time, since he first started polling the public on such questions as early as 2017.

Thirty-five percent of respondents to a July 2026 poll said that being a citizen of the United States was their most important identity, followed by 21% who said that being a citizen of the world was most important, and 17% who said that being a follower of their religious faith was their most important identity.

Comparing these and other responses to the data he collected in years prior, Telhami writes: “How Americans prioritize the many aspects of their identity continues to evolve, with a persisting decline in the percentage of those prioritizing their American citizenship, a marked increase in the number of young Americans most identifying with their generation, and a strengthening of global identity.”

Read “Shifting Views of American Identity and Values, 2026”

In a more recent Critical Issues Poll fielded October 23-25, 2026, Telhami sought to figure out whether the recent Israeli elections would impact Americans’ view of Israel in particular.

According to the poll, 55% of Americans said that their vote in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections will be impacted by their assessment of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and 68% said the Iran war will be a factor in the way they vote.

In a separate report about the October 2026 poll, Telhami writes, “This poll shows that Americans see the Israeli-US relationship itself as being more of a liability than an asset for American interests, even compared to the Saudi-US relationship, but especially compared to US relations with Canada and Britain. Americans also see an Israeli hand in the US decision to wage an unpopular war with Iran, with a sizable number saying both the US relationship with Israel and the Iran war itself will impact the way they plan to vote in the midterm elections.”

Read “Most Americans Say Israeli Elections Won’t Impact Their Views of Israel”

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Published on Mon, Nov 2, 2026 - 2:08PM