As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, a newly released Gallup poll suggests national pride has fallen to its lowest level in the survey’s history, highlighting deep political and generational divides over how Americans view their country.
The poll found that only 33 percent of Americans say they are “extremely proud” to be American, while another 20 percent say they are “very proud.” Combined, just 53 percent of respondents describe themselves as either extremely or very proud of the United States—a decline from 58 percent one year ago and a sharp drop from the patriotic surge that followed the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when roughly nine in ten Americans expressed high levels of national pride.
The results reveal a stark partisan split.
Among Republicans, 70 percent said they are extremely proud to be American. That number falls to 28 percent among independents and just 14 percent among Democrats, the lowest level Gallup has recorded for Democrats since the organization began asking the question in 2001.
The survey also found that younger Americans are significantly less likely than older generations to express strong national pride, continuing a long-term trend Gallup says has accelerated in recent years.
The findings come just days after communities across Maine and the nation celebrated America’s 250th birthday with parades, fireworks, concerts, veterans’ tributes, and other patriotic events. Across the country, millions gathered to commemorate the nation’s founding despite increasingly polarized views about its history, direction, and future.
A separate survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reached a similar conclusion. That poll found 51 percent of Americans describe themselves as either extremely or very proud to be American, down from 82 percent in 2013.
Even as expressions of national pride have declined, the Gallup survey found patriotism remains widespread in other forms. Approximately two-thirds of Americans said they planned to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, with respondents most often citing America’s freedoms and the opportunities afforded by the country as reasons for their pride.
The poll underscores a growing divide in how Americans perceive the country at a historic moment. While millions participated in celebrations honoring the nation’s founding, fewer Americans than ever before say they are deeply proud to call themselves American, a shift driven largely by partisan and generational differences that continue to reshape the country’s political and cultural landscape.





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