Gallup Poll: U.S. National Pride Declines, Shows Party Divide

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    In a recent Gallup poll, only 36% of Democrats reported feeling “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, showcasing a significant decline in national pride, especially pronounced among younger generations. This trend highlights how many Americans’ pride in their country has decreased over the past decade. The gap between Democrats and Republicans on this issue has expanded to 56 percentage points, marking the widest divide since 2001, encompassing the entirety of former President Donald Trump’s term.

    Among Generation Z, defined as those born from 1997 to 2012, about 4 in 10 express a high level of pride in being American based on Gallup’s surveys over the last five years. This contrasts with approximately 6 in 10 Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1996, and at least 7 in 10 U.S. adults in older age groups.

    Jeffrey Jones, a senior editor at Gallup, remarks, “Each generation is less patriotic than the prior generation, and Gen Z is definitely much lower than anybody else.” He notes that this trend is not confined to the younger generations, as older ones are also showing a decline, primarily influenced by Democrats within these age groups.

    The decline in national pride has been a gradual erosion, observed since Gallup first posed the question in January 2001. Back then, even during the challenging early years of the Iraq War, a large majority, about 9 in 10 U.S. adults, whether Republicans or Democrats, expressed strong pride in being American. However, this percentage has steadily decreased, especially after the post-9/11 boost, with figures dropping to around 8 in 10 by 2006 and continuing to decline.

    Currently, only 58% of U.S. adults report feeling proud to be American, with this sentiment decline being most prominent among Democrats and independents. Most Republicans, in contrast, continue to express national pride. Independents have also seen a decline, reaching a new low in the latest survey, with pride at 53%.

    The diminished sense of national pride among Democrats is more visibly linked to Trump’s presidency. At the start of his term in 2017, around two-thirds of Democrats felt proud to be American. This number dropped to 42% by 2020, just before Trump was succeeded by Democrat Joe Biden. Although there was an uptick in Democrat pride when Biden assumed office, it did not return to pre-Trump figures.

    Jones notes that the reduced national pride “is not just a Trump story,” suggesting broader reasons, such as younger generations not being as patriotic as their predecessors.

    Other recent polls confirm the divide between Republicans and Democrats on patriotism. An SSRS poll for 2024 found that almost 90% of Republicans view patriotism as having a positive impact on the country, while Democrats are split, with 45% seeing it positively and 37% negatively.

    In a broader context, dissatisfaction with politics is evident across party lines. A CNN/SSRS poll earlier this year revealed that fewer than 1 in 10 Democrats and Republicans felt “proud” about America’s political landscape today. Most participants, regardless of political affiliation, reported feeling “disappointed” or “frustrated” with the country’s politics.