Just 27% of Dems plan to fly American flag on Juy 4th: poll

Recent polling has revealed a stark partisan divide in how Americans view the Fourth of July, patriotism, and the nation’s future as the US approaches its 250th anniversary.

A multi-day poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos found that roughly 40 percent of Americans do not believe that the country will endure for another 250 years. Among Republicans, 75 percent said the United States would still exist in 250 years, compared to 60 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents. The same poll found that only 27 percent of Democrats plan to fly the flag on July 4th while 64 percent of Republicans plan on doing so.

In 2001, 65 percent of Democrats said they would fly the flag while 68 percent of Republicans said that same.

The survey also found major differences in how Americans view the longevity of the country’s political system. 85 percent of Democrats said they believe American democracy is at risk of failing, while 50 percent of Republicans said the same.

When asked how great America is, 62 percent of Republicans responded that it was the greatest country in the world, and 34 percent said it is one of the greatest. Democrats, however, said the opposite. Only 11 percent said America is the greatest in the world, and 59 percent said that it is just one of the greatest. A staggering 24 percent of Democrats said that America is not a great country at all.

Responding to what the Fourth of July means to them, 65 percent of Republicans said it was to celebrate America, whereas only 24 percent of Democrats said the same. 

In January 2001, shortly after the closely contested presidential election won by George W Bush, 90 percent of Republicans and 85 percent of Democrats said they were either extremely or very proud to be American. Today, Republican patriotism remains at the same level, while Democrats who have expressed extreme pride in their country have fallen to just 29 percent.

The poll surveyed 1,537 adults nationwide from June 12-15.