Americans celebrate Independence Day less proud of their country than ever

If you suspect that many Americans prize their partisan affiliations above their common status as U.S. citizens, the evidence keeps rolling in to support your position. Pride in being an American has reached an all-time low even as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day. More telling is that Americans’ pride—or lack thereof—in the one big thing they have in common seems increasingly linked to whether their preferred politicians are in power. The partisan nature of Americans’ regard for their nationality affects many people across the political spectrum but is especially pronounced among Democrats.

“A record-low 58% of U.S. adults say they are ‘extremely’ (41%) or ‘very’ (17%) proud to be an American, down nine percentage points from last year and five points below the prior low from 2020,” Gallup’s Jeffrey M. Jones reported this week.

By contrast, in 2013, 57 percent of respondents were “extremely” proud and 28 percent were “very” proud. The high point since the turn of the century was between 2002 and 2004 when at least 90 percent of respondents reported a combination of the two. In these over-politicized times, it’s not surprising that the most dramatic decline was among those whose political tribe is out of power.

“Democrats are mostly responsible for the drop in U.S. pride this year, with 36% saying they are extremely or very proud, down from 62% a year ago,” Jones wrote, in a continuation of a general erosion that has partially tracked that party’s political fortunes. At 53 percent, political independents have dropped seven points since last year: “Independents’ pride has been declining since the early 2000s, dropping below 80% for the first time in 2005, then below 70% in 2019 and below 60% this year.”

Republicans aren’t immune to partisanship affecting feelings for the U.S., with their pride in country dipping in 2016 when it appeared Hillary Clinton would win the presidency, and from 2020–2024. But “Republicans’ level of national pride has been much steadier, typically registering above 90%, including 92% this year, up from 85% in 2024.” Republicans have more consistently expressed pride in country.

Why should national pride be so linked for many Americans to whether one party or another dominated in the last round of popularity contests? Unfortunately, for many people, their sense of identity is tied to their political affiliations at the expense of almost any other connection they may have to others.

In February of this year, Political Psychology published a study of American political polarization by Julie M. Norman, a professor in the Department of Political Science at University College in London, and Beniamino Green, a Ph.D Candidate in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. They found that “political identity outweighs all other social identities in informing citizens’ attitudes and projected behaviors towards others.” More than class, race, gender, religion or other identities—shared citizenship included—Americans are linked by partisan affiliation.

A YouGov survey found similar results last November. Polled on what they had in common, Americans identified age and political party ahead of gender, religion, geography, money, or race:

Democrats and Republicans both are most likely to say the group they share the most common interests and concerns with is people who identify with the same political party (32% and 31%).… The majority of Americans who are Democrats or Republicans say they share a lot of common interests and concerns with other people in their party — 55% say this. 53% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans feel this way.

YouGov has conducted the same survey several times since 2017, and political party has steadily risen as the basis for common interests over that time.

Speaking of 2017, that’s the year political scientists concluded that “the strongest attachment…is Americans’ connection to their political party. And the strength of that partisan bond – stronger than race, religion or ethnicity – has amplified the level of political polarization in the U.S.”

That’s not to say that other characteristics—like religion or race—don’t matter at all. But partisan identity is more important to more people to the extent that it shapes the country we live in and our interactions with it and the people around us.

As for why national pride might take such a hit when political opponents take office, well, as Norman and Green put it, “out-group animosity is stronger than in-group sentiment.” The Stanford study similarly found that “Americans’ animosity toward players from opposing political viewpoints was stronger than favoritism shown toward politically like-minded players,” as Milenko Martinovich of Stanford Report wrote.

If most of your sense of self is tied to your political identity and how much you hate people with different politics, your esteem for the country might well be dinged when those hated others get voted into power. Basically, for many Americans—yes, especially Democrats—party affiliation has taken the place of citizenship, and so they’re proud only when their party is bossing everybody around.

In a January 2024 Gallup survey, a record low 28 percent of Americans reported being satisfied with the way democracy is working in the country. Of course: Having freighted government and the political system that guides its direction with far too much importance, most people don’t like the results.

While the question doesn’t seem to have been repeated since, Gallup asked Americans in 2013 how they think the signers of the Declaration of Independence would react to the country as it is today. “Seventy-one percent of Americans say the signers would be disappointed, while 27% say they would be pleased.” That was down from 54 percent who thought the signers would approve in 2001.

The original Independence Day was largely about getting rid of an overbearing government that played too big and intrusive a role in people’s lives. The Americans of that time wanted government to matter less relative to their personal preferences. They certainly had their differences with each other, but their intent—very imperfectly enacted—was a limited government that would leave people free to make their own decisions without exaggerating disagreements.

So, I agree that the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed by what America has become—but also by what Americans have chosen to make of themselves. As we mark Independence Day, it’s worth celebrating the day’s original intent and hoping for an opportunity to restore its values.