Most of those we interviewed for the In Our Own Words study said they had a strong sense of belonging and feeling connected to others in their local community. We found that overall, Americans are trusting; only slightly less than a third feel that most people cannot be trusted. Those we spoke with appear to welcome diversity and to have a high degree of tolerance.

For instance, 94% of participants believe that interacting with other cultures broadens our horizons. Most (86%) feel that to have a successful community we don't have to all agree, while 69% thought that we should be tolerant of all lifestyles and groups even if we don't like what they do. Almost two-thirds (64%) of the study's participants report a balance between the traditional and the modern in their community.

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