Patriotism creates widest partisan gap in new US values survey
Gallup data shows a 40-point split between parties on the importance of national pride, with older voters far more likely to cite it than younger adults.
By Layla Edwards ·
Gallup and With Honor released survey results on Sunday showing that patriotism is the single largest area of disagreement between American political parties. The data reveals a 40-percentage-point gap in how Democrats and Republicans prioritize national pride as a core value for the nation.
Forty-six percent of Republicans ranked patriotism among the top three values the country needs most. Only 6 percent of Democrats selected the same value. This margin exceeds the partisan differences found on every other measure in the survey.
Republicans also prioritized responsibility at 41 percent and honesty at 38 percent. Democrats placed higher value on equality at 44 percent and fairness at 34 percent. Honesty was the top choice for Democrats at 32 percent, while it ranked third for Republicans.
Independents fell between the two parties in their rankings. They most frequently selected honesty at 34 percent, responsibility at 32 percent, and integrity at 31 percent. Fifteen percent of independents chose patriotism as a top priority.
Age groups showed a clear split that mirrors political lines. Adults aged 65 and older were nearly three times as likely as those aged 18 to 39 to say the nation needs more patriotism. Specifically, 32 percent of older adults selected the value compared to 12 percent of younger adults.
Despite the sharp division on specific priorities, a majority of Americans believe most people share certain fundamental values. Thirty-two percent said they believed most Americans shared patriotism, second only to freedom at 38 percent. Seventy-six percent of respondents indicated that people share at least one of the 12 listed values regardless of political affiliation.
The survey also found wide agreement on political tolerance. Seventy-nine percent of Americans said respecting different values matters more than sharing the same ones. This group included 84 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of independents, and 72 percent of Republicans. Additionally, 70 percent of respondents said elected leaders must be willing to compromise across party lines. The survey was conducted May 12 through 22 among a nationally representative panel of more than 3,000 U.S. adults.
Source: Fox News
