Americans’ pride in US history and democracy drops, and fewer are proud to be American, polls find

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans have become less proud of their country’s history or the way democracy works over the past decade, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Americans’ pride in the United States has declined since 2017, according to the survey, due to several key aspects, including the country’s military and political influence around the world. Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. This survey was conducted in April with the participation of the USA and Iran. Fought for the Strait of Hormuz A long-term war that started with the US and Israel attacking Iran.

New Gallup poll also finds that only 53% of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American; This is the lowest reading in a trend dating back to 2001.

The findings point to a broad decline in patriotic sentiment during a tumultuous period that included much of President Donald Trump’s first term, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation that contributed to the backlash against President Joe Biden. This time period also includes Trump’s return to the White House, where he has taken more aggressive action on immigration and foreign affairs.

Much of the declining positivity comes from Democrats who have increasingly lost faith in the country since Trump’s first term.

At the same time, most U.S. adults say being American is “extremely” or “very” important to their identity, underscoring an enduring bond even as some are increasingly critical of the country’s past or the government’s current actions.

Americans’ pride in armed forces and democracy is waning

Americans’ pride in the functioning of democracy in the United States has fallen 14 points, from 42 percent in February 2017 to 28 percent now.

In addition, Americans’ pride in their armed forces has decreased by 19 percentage points since 2017, and pride in U.S. history has decreased by 14 percentage points. In both cases, the decline is largely due to Democrats, with some movement among independents as well.

Karla Galdamez, a 48-year-old Democrat who used to teach US history, believes America is in decline under Trump. Although the Californian is not proud of Trump, he is pleased with the progress the United States has made in 250 years.

“This is a country that really wants to be different and really wants to be better,” he said. “Despite our very ugly history of segregation and slavery…if you look at the trajectory of the last 250 years, we have done nothing but get better and move toward a more equal nation.”

Only 14 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of independents say they are “extremely” proud to be an American, compared with 70 percent of Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

The AP-NORC poll found that Republicans would be particularly proud of the nation’s armed forces. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans say the military makes them “extremely” or “very” proud, compared with 6 in 10 American adults.

Samantha Fulks, 40, of San Antonio, Texas, says she’s proud to be American and doesn’t hide it. The Texas Republican displays that pride with an American flag in his front yard and Trump flags in his backyard, and he plans to wear red, white and blue on July 4th. Fulks comes from a military family and remains a proud supporter of the military, although he believes the country’s involvement in Iran is unnecessary.

“I still support our troops no matter what they do,” Fulks said.

Being American is more important to personal identity among Republicans and older adults

Matt Stafford, a 39-year-old from Massachusetts, is proud to be an American, even though he is disappointed by the US political system.

He has a bald eagle tattooed on his back, representing the United States, its freedoms and “everything we are meant to represent as a country.” But despite this national pride, it is frequently frustrated by politicians on both sides. Stafford, a centrist who describes himself as “politically homeless,” wants Democrats and Republicans to come together to look out for their voters in middle America.

“I love America, but our biggest problem is that we push both sides, right and left, to extremes,” he said.

For many Americans, partisanship is often intertwined with their national identity. The poll finds that Republicans are much more likely than Democrats or independents to say being American is “extremely” or “very” important to their personal identity.

Young people are also much less likely than older people to say that being American is extremely important to their personal identity. Nearly three-quarters of Americans age 60 and older say being an American is extremely important to them, compared to just one-third of U.S. adults under age 30.

Race or ethnicity matters more to many Black Americans

The AP-NORC poll found that a majority (73%) of Black Americans say their race or ethnicity is “extremely” or “very” important to how they view themselves; This rate is higher than the rate of people who say this about being American.

Vincent Harris, 60, who lives in California, says his black identity rises above other qualities for him because of how black men are treated in America.

“A lot of people are afraid of black men just because we’re black and we’re men. And it’s crazy,” Harris said. “People don’t even accept you for who you are as a person; they just look at your race.”

About half of Hispanic Americans say their race or ethnicity is extremely important to them, compared with 22% of white Americans.

Black and Hispanic adults are more likely than white adults to say their family’s ancestry or country of origin is extremely important to their personal identity.

Harris, who identifies as gay, says being an American is “a wonderful thing” because of the freedoms Americans have, despite the obstacles she has had to overcome.

“It’s a great thing to be an American, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or anything like that. As long as you have the freedom to choose as an American, that’s a great thing,” Harris said. “I wouldn’t live in any other country in the world right now. I’m here. I love it.”

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AP-NORC’s survey of 2,596 adults was conducted April 16-20 using a sample from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Overall, the margin of sampling error for adults is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.