A recent Gallup poll highlights a concerning trend regarding national pride among Americans, revealing that only 36% of Democrats are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ proud to be American. This marks a notable decline in patriotic sentiment over the past decade, particularly evident among younger generations.
The poll results illustrate a deepening divide in national pride between political affiliations, with the gap between Democrats and Republicans reaching its largest difference since 2001. This division has been consistent throughout the tenure of Republican President Donald Trump, further exacerbated by the shifting sentiments of younger voters.
Among Generation Z, defined as individuals born from 1997 to 2012, only 40% express a strong sense of pride in being American, compared to approximately 60% of Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1996, and at least 70% of adults from older generations. Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, noted, ‘Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else.’
The decline in American pride has been gradual, with Gallup noting a steady drop since January 2001 when the question was first posed. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, national pride soared, with around 90% of U.S. adults expressing pride in their country. However, this consensus has gradually eroded, falling to approximately 80% by 2006 and continuing its downward trend to the current rate of 58% of U.S. adults expressing a sense of pride.
This downturn is largely driven by Democrats and independents, as the majority of Republicans consistently express pride in their national identity. The recent survey indicates that pride among independents has also dropped to a new low of 53%.
The waning pride among Democrats can be traced to changes occurring during President Trump’s administration. When Trump took office in 2017, around two-thirds of Democrats reported being proud to be American. This figure plummeted to 42% by 2020, just before Trump lost the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Interestingly, while Democrats’ sense of national pride partially rebounded with Biden’s election, it has not returned to pre-Trump levels. Jeffrey Jones emphasized that the situation is not solely a result of the Trump presidency, suggesting deeper, generational factors are at play. ‘Something else is going on, and I think it’s just younger generations coming in and not being as patriotic as older people,’ he stated.
Further polling data reveals that Democrats and independents are less inclined than Republicans to view patriotism as significant or feel a strong sense of pride in their national leaders. In a recent SSRS poll, nearly 90% of Republicans believed that patriotism positively impacts the United States, in stark contrast to Democrats, of whom only 45% agreed, while 37% viewed it negatively.
A broader dissatisfaction with political sentiment transcends party lines, evident in a CNN/SSRS poll conducted earlier this year. In that survey, fewer than 10% of individuals from both parties described themselves as ‘proud’ of the current political landscape in America. Instead, most Americans expressed feelings of disappointment or frustration with the state of politics in the country today.
As national pride continues to decline, it raises concerns about the social and political landscape, shaping the identity and unity of future generations of Americans.
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