Author’s note: This essay was written before the 2024 US elections.

As we go into the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, we must engage in a national self-reflection to determine where we stand in our obsession with wanting to be the greatest nation in the world. We must ask what makes a great nation, and does the United States meet the criteria for greatness.

How is national greatness defined? Is a nation’s greatness only related to its military might and ability to dominate other countries, or does a nation’s greatness really relate to its reconciliation between its written/spoken ideals and the reality of all its citizens?

The quality of life, happiness, and well-being of citizens are the primary determinants of the greatness of a nation. While economic stability, political stability, and international influence are considered important, it is the reality of the lives of citizens that really determines a nation’s greatness. What conditions exist in the United States that prevent it from being a great nation?

The United States is considered the richest country in the world, yet 37.9 million or 11.5 percent of its residents live in poverty. The United States has the highest poverty rate among 26 of the most developed nations. When one is poverty-stricken, he or she is unable to obtain life-sustaining essentials such as food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, clothing, and access to health care. One cause of poverty in the United States is that many workers do not earn a livable wage, the minimum amount to meet their basic needs and have a decent standard of living. Why does poverty exist in a nation that yearns to be considered great?

In the wealthiest nation in the world, some forty-four million people live in households that struggle with hunger. They experience food poverty or the inability to obtain healthy, affordable food, or food insecurity with limited or uncertain ability to acquire nutritionally available food. In 2022, 12.8 percent of households, or some 17 million people, experienced food insecurity. As a result, many Americans suffer from diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. In 2023, the United States had the highest rate of people struggling to afford enough food to feed themselves and their families of all the G7 countries. Hunger is the result of poverty, unemployment, and the cost of living for the average American. Why does hunger exist in a nation that yearns to be considered great?

In the United States, over half a million people are experiencing homelessness. They live in abandoned buildings, on streets, in cars, with no access to sanitation, and often in unsafe areas. In January 2023, a record 653,104 people experienced homelessness on a single night. Housing insecurity, the condition in which a person or a family’s living situation is tentative, is often the next step to homelessness. Housing insecurity has become an increasing problem, and the United States lags behind most other developed countries in creating affordable housing. Why does homelessness and housing insecurity exist in a nation that yearns to be considered great?

Access to quality healthcare is essential to lead long, healthy, productive lives. The United States has the most expensive healthcare system but ranks last overall compared with six other industrialized countries, i.e., Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The United States has a lower life expectancy than peer nations, and the life expectancy has continued to drop. In addition, the United States has the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths and significant racial disparities in maternal mortality rates among African American mothers. How can a lack of access to quality healthcare exist in a nation that yearns to be considered great?

Among 65 high-income countries and territories, the United States has the highest level of gun violence. The United States ranks 7th out of 65 on a scale for homicides. Most alarming, however, is that the United States has the highest rate of child and teen firearm mortality among peer nations. In 2020-2021, firearms were involved in the deaths of more children aged 1-17 than any other type of injury or illness. How can a nation claim greatness when its children die by gun violence more than any other nation?

Lastly, a great nation protects, guides, and ensures the well-being of its children. Unfortunately, our children, our most precious resource, and our future who suffer poverty, hunger, homelessness, and gun violence. Of American children, 16.9 percent, or 1 in 6, live in poverty. Child hunger affects millions in the country. In 2020, over 12 million children faced hunger, and in 2021, more than 9 million were considered to face food insecurity because parents lacked the money to provide them with adequate access to food.

What is the cause of these social conditions that plague the United States and prevent it from living up to its stated and expressed values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

Inequality is the causation that has set into motion the eventual effects that are present in the social conditions experienced by far too many Americans today. While equality is the freedom from restrictions and discrimination that prevent access to political, social, and economic opportunities, inequality based upon color, class, gender, etc., has been the norm in America since its founding. Oppressive restrictions based upon stereotypical narratives and images of specific groups perpetuated inequality in society.

What actions can the collective American society take to ensure that the nation becomes the great nation that it has the potential to become? One of the most important qualities of a great nation is that all citizens feel a sense of belonging, safety, and equality.

First, there must be an honest national reflection of the nation’s history and the effects of that history. There must be a collective desire to have a society in which all citizens are accepted as equals with all the rights of citizens, there can be no second-class citizens. The “people” must insist that their leaders prioritize social equality and inclusiveness. They must work to reduce disparities in income, provide equal opportunities for all citizens, and foster a sense of belonging for all citizens from diverse cultures.

To ensure a quality of life and well-being of all citizens, there must be standards that set a livable wage, one that guarantees that individuals and families have their basic human needs met, have equal access to opportunities that can increase income and prosperity. There must be equal access to quality health care, despite socioeconomic status. Safety from gun violence, especially for America’s children, is crucial if America ever wants to claim greatness as a nation.

Finally, the greatness of a nation can be measured by its respect for and appreciation of the diverse cultures of which it is made. There can be no “others” in a great nation; there is no hypocrisy, and the rights of all citizens are protected. On January 20, 2025, America has the opportunity to start anew, to ensure there is no incongruency between the expressed ideals and the lived experience and reality of all citizens. If Americans and their leaders have the will, the perceptions and societal conditions that have hindered our progress can be eliminated, and the nation can finally truly proclaim its greatness.