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For many voters, this election is not simply about deciding the next President of the United States, or even setting the landscape of national politics. Instead, it serves as a referendum on what it means to be innately American. Join WNYC Studios and The Nation as we travel to East Long Island to embark on a new journey beyond the constant churn of daily headlines. There we will begin the journey documenting not only what Americans are thinking, but what events transpired that brought them to their current state of mind. First we meet Patty, a one-time Obama supporter who now can be found protesting on highway overpasses, and skeptical of the president for whom she once voted. Patty had high hopes for the Obama Presidency; she thought he could heal a nation still grappling with its racial history. Instead, she says he's only made those divisions worse. Patty's dealt with her own hardships over the past decade as well: She was forced to sell her dream home after a divorce, her son battled addiction to prescription drugs, and she had her hours cut at her job. In short, Patty thinks the country is changing, and not for the better, and she thinks that Donald Trump is uniquely qualified to turn the tide. Patty standing outside Trump Tower in Manhttan (Richard Yeh (WNYC)) In time, we turn our attention to Leni, a woman attempting to keep her family from unraveling, as her fiancé fights deportation. Episode Contributors: Arun Venugopal Julianne Hing Listen to WNYC's call-in show, airing Thursday evenings at 7:30 after each episode of The United States of Anxiety Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Listen to more from The Nation.