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.

Personal agency refers to people’s beliefs that they can impact the world around them and pursue their own aspirations. Psychologists have developed several theories of personal agency and dedicated decades of research to documenting personal agency’s role in human flourishing.

Social, behavioral, and health scientists are increasingly appreciating how important meaning in life is to both mental and physical wellbeing. People who view their lives as full of meaning and purpose are more resilient and enjoy greater overall psychological health.

In public discussions economic arguments are often accused of disregarding justice, ignoring morality, or reflecting simple insensitivity. Few people have doubts that the free market advances material well-being. However, the distribution of goods through market processes is considered unfair, and the principle of profit maximization is seen to be at odds with moral values.

In this edition of Progress Pulse, we explore how Americans view their personal role in advancing human progress. Do Americans view themselves as agents of progress—individuals who have the power and responsibility to improve the world and who are taking action to improve it?

Lack is known by many names: incompleteness, finiteness, deficiency, privation, imperfection, inadequacy, insufficiency, shortage, scarcity. To many, it appears to be an unfortunate aspect of existence – a blemish, a feeling of dissatisfaction, a dismal prelude to economy.

Most Americans (69%) agree or strongly agree that they have the power to live a meaningful life (high existential agency). This is the case for both men and women and across regions of the country.