Survey: American patriotism is strong but increasingly troubled

By Hayli Harding --
07 Jul 2015 --

Being “truly American” means speaking English, believing in God, being born in the United States, and being Christian.

American patriotism lives on, but it’s clouded by concerns that United States has lost its moral leadership, that Christians are discriminated and that some people aren’t “truly American,” a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute shows. Patriotic enthusiasm also varies according to religion, age, race and other factors. The ongoing cultural change in America is also reflected in the survey.

According to the survey nearly 2 in 3 Americans – 62 percent – think that God has granted America an exceptional role in human history, Religion News Service reports. Of the religious “nones”, only 39 percent agree with this God-given American exceptionalism.

89% say ability to speak English impt to being "truly" American
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— PRRI (@PRRIpoll) July 5, 2015

Sixty-three percent of all the participants in the survey said that they have always been “proud to be an American.” Yet there are lingering concerns in people’s minds that cast shadows on the red-white-blue patriotism.

Americans are split over whether Christians are now facing as much discrimination as other groups. 49 percent of those surveyed say yes, 47 percent say no. At 70 percent, White evangelicals are most concerned about Christian persecution. On the other hand, 59 percent of religious “nones” say that Christians aren’t facing as much discrimination as other groups.

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said that the United States isn’t setting “a good moral example for the rest of the world.”

Sixty-nine percent said that they see “a typical American” when they look in the mirror, but the numbers for blacks and Hispanics are significantly lower. According to the survey, being “truly American” means speaking English, believing in God, being born in the United States, and being Christian. There are huge generational differences on the image of what constitutes a true American.