Americans hold mixed patriotic feelings ahead of 250th birthday

Uncle Sam is celebrating his 250th birthday like many larger families do: with fireworks, a cookout, and a few unresolved disagreements at the table.

Just over half of Americans (53%) say they’re "extremely" or "very" proud to be an American, according to Gallup polling published yesterday. That’s the lowest share since the polling org first started asking that question in 2001.

• National pride reached a high mark of 92% shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and remained above 80% as recently as a decade ago.
• But since 2013, that figure has gradually declined to its current 53% level.

A major political divide

Over the 25 years of Gallup polling, Republicans have been far more likely than Democrats and independents to say they’re “extremely” proud to be American—even during President Joe Biden's administration. Meanwhile, Democrats’ and Independents’ levels have decreased significantly.

• The percentage of Democrats “extremely” proud to be American fell from 54% to 14% between 2001-26, while the rate among Independents dipped from 46% to 28%.
• Both declines first began around 2013, and accelerated around 2016.
• Over the same period, the percentage of Republicans “extremely” proud to be an American rose from 64% to 70%, with a 10+-point resurgence in the past two years.

But…Despite the overall negative trend, about 7 in 10 Americans still believe the US has had a great deal (20%) or fair amount (49%) of success in achieving the ideals it was founded on, a level that’s held relatively steady since Gallup first asked this question 50 years ago.

Looking ahead…Celebrations are planned across the country this week in honor of America’s semiquincentennial. Washington D.C. has been holding festivities for weeks ahead of July 4, including the Great American State Fair. NYC is preparing for a New-Year’s-Eve-style ball drop on the 4th, while Los Angeles is expecting a crowd of up to 50,000 for its America250 concert hosted by Queen Latifah.