Executive Summary
Personal agency is a critical component of individual and societal flourishing, the psychological driver of the American Dream, and an important force in advancing human progress. Personal agency is the belief in one’s capacity to influence life circumstances and determine one’s own path. When people feel they have personal agency, they are strongly motivated to improve their lives and the lives of others. Our team at the Human Flourishing Lab surveyed a nationally representative sample of just over 2,000 American adults to understand the current state of personal agency in America. We asked survey respondents to report their sense of personal agency overall and across central dimensions of human flourishing: mental health, physical health, social relationships, meaning in life, moral character, spiritual well-being, and financial well-being.
Key Insights
- Most Americans have an overall sense of personal agency (90%).
- Eight in ten Americans or more report a sense of personal agency across every dimension of flourishing.
- Americans report the weakest sense of personal agency for financial flourishing.
- Young adults (ages 18–29) report a lower overall sense of personal agency compared to older groups and consistently show weaker agency across dimensions of flourishing.
- Formal education is positively associated with personal agency. Americans with higher levels of education consistently report stronger agency across all dimensions of flourishing.
- There are generally small differences in personal agency between political groups across most dimensions of flourishing. However, liberals report lower levels of financial agency compared to conservatives.
Introduction
Personal agency is the belief in one’s capacity to influence life circumstances and determine one’s own path by self-regulating one’s thoughts, emotions, goals, and behaviors. Individuals with a sense of personal agency have an optimistic outlook for their future. They can easily envision themselves achieving their goals and attaining desirable results. Having agency also involves an enduring confidence that one is capable of coping with and overcoming life’s challenges and tragedies. People with a sense of personal agency are highly motivated and undeterred by setbacks because they are problem-focused, quickly identifying problems, devising innovative solutions, and working with others in supportive and productive ways.
Personal agency is a foundation of human flourishing. Individuals who believe they can shape their own lives are more likely to succeed in education, athletics, and careers. They also tend to lead healthier lives, as agency supports emotional regulation, stress management, and motivation to engage in or persist with behaviors that manage or prevent chronic disease and mental illness. Beyond success and health, personal agency fuels personal growth by helping individuals find meaning, purpose, and the motivation to pursue moral and spiritual development. Finally, personal agency enhances social well-being. A sense of personal agency fosters expectations for supportive and trusting interpersonal relationships.
Personal agency promotes societal/community flourishing. Agentic individuals maintain a hopeful outlook for their community in the face of collective challenges. Rather than feeling helpless, agentic individuals seek ways to help their communities overcome and thrive. Personal agency is also linked to innovations that help to advance society. People who believe their actions can lead to desirable outcomes are better able to learn from mistakes, failures, and setbacks. They are also better able to persist in problem-solving to come up with creative solutions. Agentic individuals are also more keenly aware of how other people’s actions, combined with their own, can lead to desired outcomes. They work cooperatively with others and are more productive in group settings, solving problems that lead to breakthroughs and advances.
We conducted the current survey to gain a better understanding of the state of agency in the United States. Specifically, we aimed to determine whether Americans believe they can control and shape the outcomes and conditions of their lives overall, as well as with respect to specific dimensions of human flourishing. These dimensions of flourishing include mental and physical health, social relationships, meaning in life, moral character, spiritual well-being, and financial well-being. Do Americans feel they have agency in their lives overall and agency to flourish in each of these dimensions? We also explored whether agency beliefs varied by age, gender, education, income, and political orientation.
We surveyed a nationally representative sample of just over 2,000 American adults. Survey respondents were given a definition of personal agency (“Agency is the ability to exercise control over one’s own life”) and asked to report the extent to which they agree or disagree that they have agency over their life overall, their mental health, their physical health, their close personal relationships, their meaning and purpose, their moral character, their spiritual well-being, and their financial well-being. We also asked them to describe an experience in which they put their personal agency into action to make a positive change in their life.
Below is a breakdown of our results across demographic categories. We also included examples of narrative responses from participants showcasing how they view agency in each dimension (lightly edited for clarity).
Overall Flourishing
Agency in Action
“There was a time in high school when I was really struggling with math. I felt lost in class, but I didn’t want to admit it or ask for help because I was afraid of being called dumb. Eventually, I realized that staying quiet wasn’t helping me, it was just making things worse. So, I decided to speak up and started going to after-school tutoring. It wasn’t easy at first, but little by little, things started to click. My grade improved, but more importantly, I learned how powerful it is to take action instead of staying stuck. That moment showed me that asking for help and taking control of my situation could actually change things for the better.” – Female | Age 30
“I was not doing well in college. I was not studying well, partied too much, cut classes. I needed maturity and would probably have flunked out. Instead, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. It changed my life. I immediately understood respect for authority, others, and eventually for myself. I was promoted rapidly, took responsibility seriously, and gained respect from others of [both] higher and lower rank. In short, in three years of military training, which included combat and airborne training, I grew up. After discharge, I returned to college and completed four years in three, was hired by a large important U.S. corporation, and had a long and successful career.” – Male | Age 83
“A time I took control of my situation and made a positive change was when I realized my daily routine was holding me back from being productive and feeling balanced. I used to procrastinate a lot, stay up late, and then feel exhausted the next day. It was affecting my focus, mood, and even my confidence. I decided I didn’t want to keep repeating that cycle, so I set a clear plan for myself. I started going to bed earlier, making a daily checklist, and holding myself accountable to finishing at least three meaningful tasks a day. At first, it was challenging to stay consistent, but over time, I noticed I had more energy, I was finishing work on time, and I felt proud of myself for sticking with it. By taking control of my habits, I was able to improve not just my productivity but also my overall mindset.” – Male | Age 31
“I was born with Cerebral Palsy. Despite this, I pursued an education, completed a degree in Russian studies, got a driver’s license, fell in love, and married. In short, having a disability did not stop me, despite others’ prejudices or misgivings. – Female | Age 73
Mental Flourishing
89% of Americans believe they have agency over their mental health.
“I once was feeling overwhelmed and hopeless because of a recent loss, so instead of letting those feelings control me, I decided to seek professional help, and it turned out to be the best thing I could ever do for myself.” – Female | Age 46
“After a series of setbacks, both professional and personal, which lasted for several decades, I utilized my personal agency to develop and embrace a healthy, positive attitude. Making a conscious and deliberate choice to embrace positivity has helped to stave off depression and anxiety.” – Male | Age 55
Physical Flourishing
89% of Americans believe they have agency over their physical health.
“[Coming] from a family that has diabetes and anxiety, I noticed that I was making a lot of choices that were leading to these issues in my life. Until one day, I decided I wanted better for myself, and I wanted to live a longer and healthier life. I chose to work out at least 5 times a week, and I changed my diet. Choosing the fitness lifestyle has changed my life.” – Female | Age 27
“In my 20s, I developed a pretty bad drinking problem. [I] went from drinking on the weekends with friends to becoming a full-blown alcoholic. Eventually, my health was negatively affected, and I decided to make a change. I signed myself into a detox, then into a rehab facility, and I have been sober ever since. I took control of my life and am now 15 years sober.” – Male | Age 41
Social Flourishing
90% of Americans believe they have agency over their personal relationships.
“First time was in Jr High. I was shy, timid, [and] socially awkward. I made a conscious effort to dress more appropriately, control my facial expressions, and be more sociable. I also chose to stand up for myself. It grew into a habit and has stayed with me for my life.” – Male | Age 65
“During COVID, it was very lonely being isolated and living away from my family. I made the decision to move closer to family so I could be minutes away from the people that I love most. The result has allowed me to spend more time with family and friends and prioritize the things that mean the most to me.” – Female | Age 55
Existential Flourishing
90% of Americans believe they have agency over their meaning and purpose in life.
“I realized my work-life [balance] was off, so I adjusted my schedule and routines to spend more quality time with my family. This reduced stress and improved my overall well-being.” – Male | Age 39
“I changed jobs because the one I had was doing me in mentally. It was making me very unhappy. I am now working at a job I enjoy and [am] fulfilled at. [It] gave me new purpose to my life.” – Female | Age 64
Moral Flourishing
92% of Americans believe they have agency over their moral character.
“I use agency whenever I stand up for myself and my own beliefs. I don’t let people silence me and how I feel or think. I always stand up and say exactly what’s on my mind and show my independence in these situations.” – Female | Age 23
“Well, I remember when I made a super conscious decision to pray for my brother and give him a hug, whereas he wanted another reason for conflict. So, I showed him love and grace.” – Male | Age 34
Spiritual Flourishing
90% of Americans believe they have agency over their spiritual well-being.
“I started attending a meditation group about a year ago, and since I have been consistently practicing, I have had a lot of changes for the better. I feel more peaceful, and I am less angry and reactive.” – Male | Age 42
“I have been a Christian all my life but have not always lived the life of a Christian. I would go back and forth until I got older and realized it was not a game but a decision to live my life for Christ. I had to break old habits and rethink things, but I am getting there, and I am walking a closer walk with God.” – Female | Age 71
Financial Flourishing
84% of Americans believe they have agency over their financial well-being.
“There was a time when I was buried in debt and constantly stressed because I couldn’t keep up with payments. It felt like my finances were controlling me instead of the other way around. The turning point came when I made the life-changing decision to prioritize my financial health by creating a plan, tracking expenses, and making my monthly payments on time, no matter what.” – Female | Age 38
“A time I took control of my situation was when I decided to further my career by going back to school for my master’s degree while working full-time. It was challenging to balance work, family, and studies, but I stayed disciplined and managed my time carefully. That decision helped me grow professionally and opened the door to new opportunities in my career.” – Male | Age 48
Conclusion
Do Americans believe they have the power to shape their own lives? Overwhelmingly, yes. Regardless of gender, age, education, income, or political orientation, the vast majority of Americans agree that they have agency over the overall conditions of their lives and across key dimensions of flourishing.
There are notable demographic differences in personal agency. Young adults consistently report the lowest agency beliefs, which may reflect the typical challenges of emerging adulthood or generation-specific issues.
Personal agency is positively associated with education, with Americans with higher levels of formal education reporting stronger agency across all dimensions of flourishing. Income shows a more complex relationship with agency. While Americans with lower incomes generally report weaker agency, this pattern is not entirely linear, and the differences between income groups are generally small.
Political orientation shows little relationship with personal agency across most dimensions of flourishing. However, liberals report notably lower financial agency compared to conservatives, suggesting different perceptions of financial control across the political spectrum. For most demographics, Americans report the weakest sense of personal agency for financial flourishing.
Overall, the findings paint an optimistic picture of the state of personal agency in the United States. Americans generally believe in their ability to shape their lives meaningfully through their decisions, goals, and actions. This is good news, since personal agency is central to human flourishing and progress.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Archbridge Institute from September 11-15, 2025, among 2,009 adults ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed
population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact contact@archbridgeinstitute.org.
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