5 reasons for hope: What we learned traveling to American towns called Hope

Across our great nation, hope abounds.

That's the lesson we learned this summer as we dispatched journalists to the towns called Hope. From the Maine coast to the American South, from the heartland to the Mexican border and the Gulf of Alaska, we heard over and over that the United States is a country where life is good for most of us, despite our challenges ‒ and where people remain relentlessly optimistic that even better days lie ahead.

We also learned valuable lessons about the importance of close connections with your neighbors, the intersection of national politics and local issues, and what it means to truly call a community home.

So, after thousands of miles of travel, hundreds of interviews and hours of conversations in coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants and offices, here are five lessons we learned about America's Hopes.

1. We are dramatically more hopeful than an outsider might think.

Watching the presidential election filled with doom-and-gloom campaign advertisements, it's easy to think America's entire way of life is at risk. But the people we interviewed said they remain optimistic about the future.

An exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll bears that out: 81% of Americans say they have "hope for the future of the country," a view that stretches across lines of gender, race and political party. Only 18% say they lack that hope. The poll of 1,000 likely voters, taken by landline and cellphone Aug. 25-28, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

That's not to say things are perfect. The economy is tough for many. Food costs have skyrocketed, especially for those least able to afford it. High interest rates have complicated home-purchasing, and the high cost of fuel, insurance and other daily necessities are squeezing many. The war in Gaza has hardened divisions, as has the federal government's inability to find a solution to the southern border challenges.

Political disputes have sundered families ‒ some siblings are no longer talking ‒ and heartless or thoughtless social media posts can bring people to tears.

But amid those challenges, Americans still see a future filled with hope.

"Even when things are kinda crazy, and they're crazy right now, I tend to lean toward the optimist camp, because I would like that future for myself and the rest of humanity," said musician Kat Moore during a break performing a bluegrass concert in Hope, Alaska.

2. We share many values.

A strong economy filled with opportunity, clean air and water, personal freedom and independence, and a good education for our kids : What binds us together is stronger than our differences.

Politicians like to divide us, to wedge us apart by magnifying small differences so they can exploit our outrage and win power. But at the end of the day, our families, our friends, our faith draw us closer. In the slowly shrinking town of Hope, New Mexico, Anglos and Mexican immigrants have built a strong community even as the farms and irrigation water dwindled.

"We're more or less a family here," Mayor Bill Fletcher said. "None of us is kin, but we're a family anyway. You scratch one of us, we all bleed."

3. Our neighbors matter.

Our neighbors matter, not just because we can call on them for help, but because they help create that important sense of community so many Americans are seeking.

To be clear, people disagree. A lot. Taxes. Schools. Health care. Immigration.

But in small towns, just being able to get in a room with your neighbors and listen to their concerns helps generate consensus. The parking frustrations faced by some residents are the flip side of the music venue's financial success. The increased traffic and trash left by tourists is a problem, sure, but also reflects the growing stream of dollars keeping the gift shop afloat.

"Every town has its politics," said Susan Pushaw, who owns a trading post in South Hope, Maine, where locals gather to hash out challenges. "They start out with little arguments, but it all ends up good before they all leave."

4. Politics is ‒ and should be ‒ local.

National politics have their place, but for most of us, the decisions by our local governments have a far larger impact on our daily lives. And many American remain deeply invested in helping make their communities better.

With all the attention being paid to this fall's presidential election, it's easy to forget that there are an estimated 90,000 local governments across the country, from school boards and water districts, to library boards and liquor licensing authorities. And all of them are run by our neighbors. For most of us, that's where the real governing happens: hiring quality teachers, recruiting new police officers, overseeing our drinking water and making sure roads are safe.

And for many of us, the hope in America comes not from some top-down government mandate, but a personal liberty and motivation to make our corner of the universe a little better for our families and friends.

"I don’t need other people’s speech and 'rah rahs' to find the hope I have in my own abilities," said John Sitzes of Hope, Arkansas.  "I think if people are looking for hope, then they need to dig their feet into the dirt and go get it."

5. No one thinks we live in a perfect country.

While we may disagree on the best path to get to the "more perfect union" envisioned in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, we strongly believe that even better days are ahead.

Perhaps no one feels that more keenly than the motorcycle-riding Jeanne Hope, 67, who calls one of Michigan's two Hope Townships home. Still unsure who she'll support for president, Hope, of Barry County, said the Republicans and Democrats who live near her all pitch in for community events, lift up those who struggle and keep an eye out for each other, despite their political differences.

"When I get teased by everybody about my last name, I say there is always hope," she said. "Nothing is ever too far gone that you can’t find a bright side somewhere. There’s got to be hope, or why are we even here in the first place?"

Contributing: Lauren Villagran, Terry Collins, Karissa Waddick, Kristen Shamus and Sarah D. Wire

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 reasons for hope: What we learned traveling to American towns called Hope