New poll reveals how many people are proud to be American as country celebrates its 250th anniversary
As the United States gears up to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a new poll has revealed some surprising insights into how Americans actually feel about their country right now.
The survey, carried out by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that pride in the nation's history and the way its democracy functions has dropped significantly over the past decade.
The poll was conducted in April, a period that coincided with the United States and Iran clashing over the Strait of Hormuz, following strikes launched by the US and Israel against Iran.
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According to separate Gallup polling, only 53 percent of US adults now say they're 'extremely' or 'very' proud to be American, the lowest figure recorded since the trend began in 2001.
The AP-NORC survey found that pride in how democracy works in the US has fallen 14 percentage points, down from 42 percent in February 2017 to just 28 percent now.
Pride in the armed forces has dropped 19 percentage points over the same period, while pride in the country's history has also fallen by 14 points, with much of the decline driven by Democrats.
Karla Galdamez, a 48 year old former history teacher from California, said she believes the country has 'regressed' under the Trump administration, though she remains encouraged by its overall progress across 250 years.
She told AP: "Despite some of the very ugly history that we have of segregation and slavery, if you look at the trajectory of the last 250 years, we've done nothing but get better and move toward a more egalitarian nation," she said.
Why has American pride declined since 2017?
The poll found a stark divide along political lines, with just 14 percent of Democrats and 28 percent of independents saying they're 'extremely' proud to be American, compared to 70 percent of Republicans.
Republicans were also far more likely to express pride in the military, with around 9 in 10 saying it makes them 'extremely' or 'very' proud, compared to roughly 6 in 10 US adults overall.
Samantha Fulks, a 40 year old Republican from Texas, said she remains a proud supporter of the military despite her own reservations about US involvement in Iran.
"I still support our troops no matter what they do," she said.
Meanwhile, Matt Stafford, a 39 year old centrist from Massachusetts, said his frustration lies less with the country itself and more with growing political division.
"I love America, but our biggest problem is how we're pushing both sides, like the left and the right, to the extremes," he said.
The survey also found notable differences when it comes to personal identity, with older Americans and Republicans far more likely to say being American is central to how they see themselves, compared to younger adults and Democrats.
For some, race and ethnicity plays an even bigger role in shaping identity than nationality. The poll found 73 percent of Black Americans say their race is 'extremely' or 'very' important to their identity, a higher proportion than those who say the same about being American.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 2,596 adults between April 16 and 20, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
Thomas Bamford