Why America still rocks

America has plenty of problems. But for July 4, Jim and Mike have a simpler message: America still rocks. The Axios co-founders go Behind the Curtain to explain why Americans are living through one of the greatest moments in U.S. and human history, even as patriotism falls, trust erodes and pessimism dominates the national mood. They discuss the gap between how America feels and what the country still gets right: freedom, entrepreneurship, innovation, democracy, capitalism, energy, military strength and the everyday decency of normal people. The bottom line: America is imperfect, noisy and often frustrating. But it is also young, resilient and still full of possibility. Timestamps: 00:00 - Why America feels broken 00:38 - The collapse in national optimism 01:22 - Why the bad feelings are real 02:51 - The facts behind American progress 04:28 - Why cynicism dominates the news 05:22 - America’s advantages 06:19 - What capitalism and democracy still produce 07:15 - The entrepreneurial boom Jim sees coming 07:44 - Why most people are still normal 09:31 - How broken institutions get rebuilt 10:00 - The small things that still unite Americans 11:43 - Why 2026 feels different from 1976 12:47 - Can America repair itself?