Recent polls indicate a complex and often contradictory landscape regarding American pride. The NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, conducted from June 8-11 with 1,340 respondents and a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points, found that a majority of Americans are proud to be American. However, nearly one-third are worried about the country's direction, and almost half believe the nation has strayed significantly from its founding principles. Pride levels vary notably by political affiliation: 93% of Republicans (65% "very proud") and 61% of Independents expressed pride, compared to only 45% of Democrats.
Concerns about democracy are also widespread, with 82% of Americans seeing a serious threat to democracy, a four-point increase since February. A significant 83% believe the country has departed from its founding principles, a sentiment more pronounced among Democrats than Republicans. While 35% disagree with using violence to address national concerns, only 27% strongly disagree, a decrease from 36% in October. Furthermore, 12% strongly agree that violence is necessary to correct the country's path, though this is down from 25% in October 2025.
Generational differences are apparent, with 21% of Gen Z believing America still upholds its founding principles, compared to 19% of millennials, 14% of Gen X, and 13% of baby boomers. Despite the overall pride, 45% of all respondents feel the country's best days are past, with Democrats evenly split on this view. Looking ahead, 59% of respondents are not confident that future generations will experience a brighter future. Both the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll and a Gallup survey, conducted June 1-15 with 1,001 adults and a 4 percentage point margin of error, illustrate these declining levels of pride, with Gallup reporting that only 53% of U.S. adults are "extremely" or "very" proud, marking a 25-year low.
According to Gallup, 70% of Republicans are "extremely proud," compared to 28% of independents and 14% of Democrats. The AP-NORC poll (conducted in April, exact dates not specified) identified a decade-long drop in pride concerning U.S. history and the functioning of its democracy, with pride in democracy falling 14 percentage points since 2017 to 28% and pride in the armed forces decreasing by 19 percentage points. These declines are largely driven by Democrats and some independents, with Republicans showing strong pride in the military (90%). Despite these shifts, most U.S. adults still consider being American as "extremely" or "very" important to their identity, though race and ethnicity hold greater importance for many Black and Hispanic Americans.
Republicans are also much more likely than Democrats and independents to consider being American as highly important to their personal identity. Younger Americans (under 30) are less likely than older generations (60 and older) to view being an American as highly important to their personal identity. The polls consistently highlight that the recent decline in patriotic sentiment coincides with a period encompassing most of former President Donald Trump’s first term, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising inflation, which has also contributed to public sentiment against President Joe Biden.
