Decline in American Pride: What’s Behind the Record Low Numbers?

It appears that American pride is at a record low, and has been for a while. Are folks genuinely proud to be Americans anymore? There are loads of reasons why Americans should be filled with pride to reside on American soil as citizens, but many of those reasons are seemingly being overshadowed by some of the more negative factors currently in circulation. As a reminder, the concept of American pride has been around for centuries.

In fact, it’s been a hot topic of conversation since July 4, 1776, when America was originally founded. Before American colonies were established, British colonies were around during the 17th and 18th centuries. The American colonies have now expanded to 50 states including California, Washington, Texas, Florida, and New York. Over time, opinions on American pride have shifted and evolved.

For some, the notion of American pride has only grown stronger and more critical. For others, the topic of American pride has become a source of some serious contention. Based on whichever political party you agree with, there’s a chance your political views might be one of the reasons your opinion has moved in one direction or the other.

At the end of the day, the statistics surrounding American pride simply aren’t looking good right now. Two out of every five Americans claim that they’re “extremely proud” to be American. That’s only 41% of the nation. A couple of decades back in 2002, the numbers were much higher with far more Americans claiming to be “extremely proud” of their American citizenship.

To gather this information about why American pride remains at a near record low, 24/7 Tempo consulted Gallup News for in-depth insight and statistical knowledge. ( While we’re on the topic of American pride, click here to uncover iconic American dishes that have become global favorites everywhere around the world. )

America’s history of racism and colonization is one factor

Since America does indeed have a dark history regarding racism and colonization, plenty of adult Americans have been rethinking their level of patriotism. It might be a lot easier for Americans to feel patriotic about America if there weren’t still so many active signs of present-day racism occurring on American soil today.

The reason the Black Lives Matter Movement blossomed into such a hot topic in 2013 was because too many African-American individuals were dying at the hands of police officers who were abusing their power. In order for Americans to feel prideful about their country, positive changes must be made regarding heavy-hitting subjects like racism and colonization. Issues revolving racism have certainly improved in our modern world, but there are still additional changes that could and should be made.

One of those changes could be ensuring that schools and another academic settings continue educating students about the history of racism in America, including slavery, so that history won’t be doomed to repeat itself. Another change could be offering reparations to members of the African-American community sine the country was built on the backs of slaves.

The oppression of citizens based on gender and sexuality is another factor

Women and members of the LGBTQ community alike have faced oppression in America for a long time. America has a reputation for being an open-minded melting pot if diversity and acceptance. Yet plenty of women and LGBTQ individuals do not feel safe or protected in their daily lives. When it comes to women specifically, the number of sexual assaults and rapes that take place every single day in America is deplorable.

The pay gap between genders is also unacceptable since many women are also expected to financially contribute to their household in this modern era. The lack of support for women who are pregnant or in need of maternity-leave is also alarming. Women who are being told they don’t have the right to choose what to do with their own bodies are also growing increasingly enraged.

For the LGBTQ community, human beings who fit into those sexual orientation categories are still actively fighting for opportunities to be treated equally and fairly wherever they go. Americans who consider themselves to be true allies of women and the LGBTQ community understand that there’s still an unfortunate level of oppression happening, even though the oppression isn’t blatant or obvious in some cases. Many women, LGBTQ individuals, and allies are finding it hard to muster up American pride with these issues still so glaringly obvious.

The wealth divide

There is a massive wealth divided happening in America right now and it has tons of citizens feeling distraught about their futures. Issues like inflation, high gas prices, and unaffordable homes are leaving hard-working Americans feeling beyond defeated. Tons of Americans did all the things they thought they were supposed to do including graduating from college and landing themselves corporate level positions with 40-hour work weeks.

Regardless of the soul-sucking efforts from many of these Americans, there are still living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to get by. Many adults can’t afford to live in their own one-bedroom apartments because the cost of living is so out of control. For this reason, many adults have opted to move back in with their parents or they’ve chosen to live with roommates.

Many have come to the conclusion that they’ll never be homeowners, and instead, they realized they need to make peace with the notion of renting forever. They’re also trying to piece together the reality that they may never have the chance to retire the way generations above them did. These Americans who’ve done everything they were told in pursuit of the American dream have realized that the American dream won’t exactly work out for them. Since they’re so disillusioned, it’s turning them off from having a true sense of patriotism.

Connective conversations on social media

This generation of adults has more access to insight from other countries than any other generation before. Because of this, connective conversations on social media are taking place between Americans and non-citizens who live in different places around the globe. Americans are learning the ins and outs of how other countries run things based on content they’re seeing and sharing amongst themselves.

A burnt out American who’s working two jobs yet still can’t afford healthcare is now analyzing the lifestyles of strangers living in Canada, Europe, or the Caribbean. Americans are comparing the highs and lows of what they go through every day to what non-Americans are going through every day. Space is being carved for Americans to ask direct questions to non-citizens to uncover new comparisons on a daily basis.

Many Americans feel that the wool has been pulled from over their eyes for the first time with the help of social media exposure. When more truths are uncovered about the lack of governmental support that American citizens receive in comparison to governmental support citizens in other countries easily get, it makes it difficult for Americans to embody a high sense of pride.

So, how exactly can American citizens start regaining their sense of patriotism?

It’s true that there are a slew of problems citizens face in America, but that doesn’t mean Americans should completely abandon all sense of pride without further discussion. One solid way Americans can start regaining their sense of patriotism would be by analyzing all the wonderful things America has to offer in this modern era. As of now, American citizens still have freedom of speech, an impressively powerful military, and a general feeling of safety that beats out the dangers of other less safe countries like Afghanistan or Ukraine.

Another way would be if Americans start reminding themselves of all the conveniences that come along with living in a country like the U.S. On top of the long list of benefits, America is also known for space exploration, Hollywood movies and other forms of entertainment, decadent foods, diverse landscapes, and brilliant technology.

The freedom to practice whatever religion you’d like is another incredible detail that comes along with being an American citizen. Curating a deep inner sense of American pride can still be achieved, regardless of everything that might feel messy or unfortunate in the world today. All in all, there’s a lot to respect about America. For now, click here for a breakdown of America’s favorite holidays.

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