Proud of America Right Now?
Susan Page and Merdie Nganza at USA Today:
A new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll about patriotism, pegged to this week’s celebration of the Fourth of July, finds an overwhelming majority of those surveyed say they are proud to be Americans. But they split almost down the middle, 42 percent to 39 percent, when asked whether they are proud of America right now.
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In the survey, most say they are proud to be Americans, although Republicans feel that way more strongly (90 percent) than Democrats (61 percent). There is no consensus when asked about the country’s current course, though: 71 percent of Republicans but just 22 percent of Democrats said they are proud of America right now.
The USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll of 1,004 adults, taken online June 26-27, has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The survey is one of a year-long series on American values.
From Ipsos:
When asked to rate several concepts, people, and professions on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being worst about America and 7 being the best, nurses were chosen as those who represent the best of America, scoring the highest mean rating of 6.0. Nurses receive high marks across the political spectrum, with Republicans (6.1), Democrats (6.0), and Independents (6.0) rating them equally high. Kindness to strangers is the top-ranking value and second-highest ranking overall (5.6), with Republicans and Democrats once again aligned (5.7 among both groups). The Founding Fathers, speaking English, and school teachers are also seen as some of the best parts of America, each with mean ratings of 5.5.
When it comes to the worst of America, those in the political sphere take the lead. Politicians earn a mean score of just 2.7. Republicans (3.1), Democrats (2.7) and Independents (2.2) all report poor opinions about politicians. Political correctness (3.3) also represents one of the worst things about America for the general public.
The survey also asked respondents how they define patriotism. Two-thirds mentioned pride or loyalty, while only seven percent mentioned law or guidelines
