Americans have grown less proud of their country’s history and the way its democracy works over the past decade, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The poll found that only 53% of U.S. adults are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ proud to be an American, the lowest reading in the trend dating back to 2001.

Decline in Pride

Americans’ pride in the way democracy works in the U.S. has declined 14 percentage points, falling from 42% in February 2017 to 28% now. Additionally, Americans’ pride in their armed forces has dropped 19 percentage points since 2017, and pride in the U.S.’s history has declined 14 percentage points.

According to the poll, Republicans are especially likely to be proud of the nation’s armed forces, with about 9 in 10 Republicans saying the military makes them ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ proud. In contrast, only 14% of Democrats and 28% of independents say they are ‘extremely’ proud to be an American.

Importance of Being American

Despite the decline in pride, most U.S. adults say that being an American is ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important to their identity, highlighting an enduring connection to the country. However, younger people are much less likely than older people to say being an American is highly important to their personal identity.

For many Americans, their partisanship is often intertwined with their national identity. The poll finds that Republicans are much likelier than Democrats or independents to say being an American is ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important to their personal identity.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.