Did you see that poll on patriotism?!

A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll has created quite the stir and has given rise to the following headlines:

“America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It” – Wall Street Journal

“Traditional values like patriotism, religion and community have plunged dramatically among Americans” – New York Post

“Religion, patriotism, and having children diminish in importance for Americans” – Catholic News Agency

“Rot of nation’s core values quantified by single poll” – Axios

“More Americans pulling back from ‘traditional’ values” – CBS Austin

“That Jarring new poll on ‘patriotism'” – Washington Post

Those headlines (some of them deceptive) leave the impression that the United States is headed clockwise down the porcelain waste disposal…but there’s more to the story.

First, examine the actual poll question from page 7:

“We would like to ask you some questions about the American character, that is, about our values and who we are… How important are each of the values to you personally? Would you say it is very important, somewhat important, not that important or not important at all?”

In response to this question, on the topic of patriotism, only 38% of the 1,019 surveyed adults (more to come on this) declared patriotism a VERY important value.

That response generated an outcry because it was compared to a 1998 WSJ poll asking the same question, and 70% of the 2,004 adults surveyed identified patriotism as a VERY important value.

At first glance, the headlines nicely wrap up the conclusion. However, a deeper look may contradict the headlines and show that patriotism did not plunge in 2023. Instead, it may have spiked in 1998.

A Deeper comparison

A 1976 survey by Yankelovich, Skelly, and White, Inc. concluded 43% of the people questioned thought that patriotism as a value is “VERY important.” It’s relevant to point out that the 1998 WSJ poll compared its results to this 1976 poll, although the number and details of those surveyed were unclear.

So, by comparison, the 3 surveys over 50 years look like this:

• 1976 = 43% surveyed deemed patriotism VERY important
• 1998 = 70% surveyed deemed patriotism VERY important
• 2023 = 38% surveyed deemed patriotism VERY important

Having lived during all three surveys, I found it hard to accept that the importance of patriotism so drastically declined.

I love and I love and I love, but I get nothing in return

Webster’s defines patriotism as “love for or devotion to one’s country.” However, when these feelings of love and devotion are unreturned, a person is ultimately rendered numb. These surveys miss that context.

Put on a larger scale, our government and elected officials, have fallen short in expressing their love to the American people. Trust of those in authority has all but disappeared.

Regardless of your political persuasion, think of the recent controversies that have chipped away at that trust. Among them: abortion, COVID responses, the Afghanistan withdrawal, January 6, and inflation.

Nothing recently has unified us as a country, so the timing of the poll is significant.

In 1976, the lingering effects of the Vietnam War and Watergate significantly divided us, and the energy crisis droned on. However, the nation’s bicentennial birthday buoyed our spirits.

We know of two things that will rally Americans: terror attacks and friendly competition against the rest of the world. The 1998 survey rendering that 70% approval rating for patriotism as a very important value came just four days after the winter Olympics. In addition, the courts had recently meted out justice to the masterminds of attacks on America (the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing).

This make me believe that not everything is important…until it’s important.

It’s not important…until it’s important

Also keep in mind, the 2023 survey asked about the importance of religion and belief in God. The results were alarmingly low for many people. However, after every national tragedy – school shootings, natural disasters, etc – what happens? Prayers flood social media and even the mainstream media now.

When the NFL’s Damar Hamlin had his recent near-death experience on a nationally televised Monday Night Football game, seemingly every person on the field, in the stands (65,000+), and in the broadcast booth turned to God in prayer…the same could be said after September 11, 2001. One doesn’t need a poll to understand that.

God, religion, patriotism are not important…until they are important. Therefore, it’s not always what we say…often times, it’s how we say it and in what context that it’s most relevant.

The survey question the headlines ignored…

“Which of these statements best describes your opinion about the United States.” For 71%, America either “Stands above all countries in the world,” or is “One of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others.” 27% of respondents insisted “There are other countries better than the United States.”

The survey did not ask two fundamentally important follow-up questions of the 27%:

1) Have you lived in a country you deem better than the US?

2) Why are you not living there now?

Even among those respondents, if answering the second question includes making this country better, they must consider patriotism VERY important.

Numbers don’t lie, but…

Finally, can a survey of 1,019 people out of a country of 330+ million (.0003%) truly render an accurate representation of the entire country?

Questions about data integrity grow daily as do concerns by people about having to give personal data and personal opinions in order to participate. When it comes to polls and trust, the train may have already left the station for good, and this could explain why the number of participants from 1998 to 2023 was cut almost in half.

I believe the majority of Americans truly love this country… want the best for it. The cynic points out that we are not aligned in how we get there and what patriotism looks like when we do. The realist points out that we continue to be the most sought after country by immigrants, which is the true poll of this country’s values.

As a nation, we have our challenges – we always have and we always will. However, I have no doubt that the next national crisis will prove once again that patriotism as a value is VERY important to all.