AS THE US TURNS 250, A FORGOTTEN FOUNDING INFLUENCE HELPS EXPLAIN ITS CURRENT UNEASE

ORONO, Maine, July 2 -- University of Maine issued the following news release:

By Robert A. Ballingall

Associate Professor of Political Science

The following article was first published in The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news organization that shares faculty expert analysis with a global audience.

Robert A. Ballingall

As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, many people in the U.S. are deeply concerned about the country's future.

A recent poll by Elon University found that 69% of respondents "believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about modern American democracy." Confidence in public institutions is historically low, and the most recent Harvard ...