American Patriotism Hits An All-Time Low, According To New Gallup Poll
As we approach the Fourth of July holiday, a recent poll conducted by Gallup suggests the patriotism in America is at a record low. Among the 1,500 U.S. adults surveyed between June 1 and June 13, only 47 percent described themselves as “extremely proud” to be American. This is a four-point drop from when the poll was taken last year.
When terrorists attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2001, American patriotism surged as people across the nation forgot their differences and banded together against a common enemy. Survey results published by Gallup that year found 87 percent of Americans were proud to live in America.
The Gallup poll asking about American patriotism in 2003 revealed 70 percent of adults were proud of the country. Throughout the years the percentage has dropped but never below 50 percent until now, according to a Newsweek report.
The recent poll found seven out of every 100 citizens are “only a little” proud to be an American. Only 3 percent are not proud at all.
Th Gallup poll examined the differences in patriotism along party lines as well. Among Democrats, 32 percent are “extremely proud,” a drop from 43 percent in 2017. Seventy-four percent of Republicans, on the other hand, responded as “extremely proud.” Only 42 percent of independents are “extremely proud.”
Demographic differences also seemed to have an influence on the results. Of the male respondents, 51 percent said they are “extremely proud.” Approximately 44 percent of women gave the same response.
Among college graduates, 39 percent were “extremely proud.” Noncollege graduates were much higher at 52 percent.
American patriotism is down, a recent Gallup poll finds https://t.co/IkfNw1aXo7 pic.twitter.com/pR5mPavNsp
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 2, 2018
A separate poll from USA Today/Ipsos also asked Americans about how proud they are to be an American. Just like the Gallup poll, the difference in patriotism was also significant among party lines.
The results revealed about six out of 10 Democrats are proud to be American, while over 90 percent of Republicans feel the same way. Sixty-seven percent of independents have a positive frame of mind about America.
Despite America’s most patriotic holiday just days away, the polls suggest many Americans remain divided on a number of issues. Concerns such as the Trump administration’s handling of children being separated from parents at the border and gun control policy were among the issues that influenced how respondents felt about the country overall.
