Poll Finds Wide Partisan Divide on Patriotism as Core National Value

A recent poll conducted by Gallup and With Honor reveals a significant partisan divide in the prioritization of patriotism as a core national value. According to the survey released Sunday, 46% of Republicans consider patriotism among the top three values the nation needs most, in stark contrast to only 6% of Democrats. This 40-percentage-point difference represents the widest ideological disagreement found in the poll examining the country's values.

The survey also indicated that Democrats are more inclined to emphasize values such as equality, fairness, and kindness, while Republicans tend to prioritize responsibility and patriotism. This divergence is also evident in other values, with equality being cited by 44% of Democrats compared to 10% of Republicans, and fairness by 34% of Democrats versus 15% of Republicans.

Independents' views fall between these two partisan groups, with honesty, responsibility, and integrity being their most frequently selected values. Only 15% of independents prioritized patriotism.

Despite these significant differences in stated priorities, patriotism was identified as a value shared by most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, by 32% of respondents, trailing only freedom at 38%. Overall, more than three-quarters of Americans surveyed believe people share at least one of the 12 listed values (freedom, patriotism, service, kindness, respect, equality, fairness, responsibility, integrity, courage, honesty, and humility), with 59% believing people share at least two, and 46% believing they share at least three.

The findings also revealed an age-related divide mirroring the political split, with adults aged 65 and older nearly three times more likely than those aged 18-39 to state that the nation needs more patriotism (32% vs. 12%).

However, the poll did identify broad consensus on political tolerance. Nearly 80% of Americans, across party lines, believe respecting different values is more important than sharing the same ones. Furthermore, 70% of respondents agreed that elected leaders should be willing to compromise across party lines, even if it comes at a personal political cost.

The survey was conducted from May 12-22 among a nationally representative sample of over 3,000 U.S. adults. The Gallup analysis concluded, "Perhaps, then, the ultimate shared value is that Americans agree to disagree."