The United States is currently experiencing a decline in national pride as it celebrates its 247th birthday. According to recent Gallup polling, less than 4 in 10 U.S. adults consider themselves “extremely proud” to be American, which is consistent with last year’s all-time low and a significant decrease from two decades ago when about 7 in 10 Americans felt extreme pride in their country.
This lack of pride is understandable considering the constant stream of alarming headlines that dominate the news. There is a growing concern about the lack of unity and intense partisanship within the country, leading some to feel a sense of hopelessness. However, on July Fourth, a day of celebration for the United States, it is important to recognize and appreciate the country’s proven ability to renew and improve itself. Our system’s resilience comes from its ability to correct and adjust. Free elections and open markets create a dynamic environment that enhances both political and economic freedom.
The brilliance of America lies in its capacity for give and take, accommodation, compromise, checks and balances, reform, and reaction. In countries like China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba, there is a desire for freedom, but their systems do not tolerate constructive dissent.
While some individuals claim that things have never been as bad as they are now, this perspective is historically myopic and objectively incorrect. Almost every metric shows that the United States is better off today than it was 200 or even 20 years ago. We can start with economic well-being, as the U.S.-led global order has lifted millions of people out of poverty. America continues to be a hub for medical, technological, and artistic innovation.
The founding fathers designed a system that not only allows for self-healing but also allows for moral growth. The scars of past events like the Civil War, the Jim Crow era, the Great Depression, McCarthyism, Watergate, and Vietnam have made us a better nation. It is worth noting that a country initially counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person twice elected a Black president. The newest Supreme Court justice is both a descendant of enslaved people and married to a descendant of enslavers, a union that would have been illegal until 1967.
So why are many Americans no longer as proud of their country? One significant factor is corrosive partisanship. Until 2018, when Donald Trump was in his second year as president, the majority of Americans consistently expressed extreme pride in their country when Gallup conducted its annual pre-July Fourth poll. However, many Democrats lost faith in their country after the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville and failed to regain it even after their party gained control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. Currently, only 29 percent of Democrats say they are extremely proud to be American, compared to 60 percent of Republicans.
It is alarming that only 18 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds, regardless of their political affiliation, say they are extremely proud to be American. This generation grew up in a time of dislocation due to the Great Recession, ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, school shootings, and active shooter drills. More recently, they have experienced the disillusionment caused by pandemic isolation, George Floyd’s murder, the cruelty of Trumpism, the insurrection on January 6, 2021, the opioid and fentanyl crises, and the escalating effects of climate change. Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that fear and hopelessness have become prevalent.
The decline in national pride should not be viewed in isolation from daily events; however, these events also illustrate the resilience of the nation. Despite the influence Donald Trump continues to have within the Republican Party, democracy prevailed in 2020 despite his attempts to overturn the election. The most extreme election deniers were rejected by voters in 2022. The events of January 6, 2021, were undoubtedly one of the darkest days in U.S. history, but a thorough investigation was conducted by a House select committee, and the Justice Department has charged over 1,000 individuals for their participation in the Capitol attack. All of this highlights the triumph of democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Even the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border, which has become a divisive issue, serves as a reminder that this country remains a symbol of opportunity so powerful that people from around the world are willing to take huge risks to come to this promised land. They still believe in the American Dream.
The United States also plays an indispensable supporting role in Ukraine, illustrating the continued importance of American leadership in the world.
As we enjoy activities like baseball and barbecues, let us take a moment to pause before the upcoming presidential election season. Despite the corrosiveness of self-doubt and political tribalism, there is much to celebrate. American values have evolved and endured, and although our union is far from perfect, we believe it is an experiment worth pursuing.
As a newspaper, it is our role to hold leaders accountable and measure America against its promises and potential. The freedom to do so is one of the many reasons we are extremely proud to be citizens of this country.
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