Patriotism Is Good for Us
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and this year it carries extra meaning. We are marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A milestone like this is a time to celebrate, and it is also a time to reflect on what binds such a diverse, dynamic, and divided country together. So this week I want to explore the positive power of patriotism and share some new findings on what Americans think about patriotism.
Last week I attended a World Cup match between Austria and Algeria in Kansas City. I do not know much about soccer (fútbol). But I do know a lot about nostalgia and group psychology, and that is why I was there, taking part in a documentary being filmed at the event. I am not much of a sports fan in general, but I have always enjoyed international competitions like the Olympics because I like watching different nations come together in one place to showcase and test their athletic talent.
This was the first World Cup game I had ever attended, so I did not really know what to expect. I was instantly struck by how many devoted fans of Austria and Algeria had turned out in a Midwestern American city, wearing their national colors and cheering on their teams. It was a vivid reminder of how powerfully a shared identity can move people, and of the deep human pull toward group belonging.
Patriotism is one of the clearest expressions of that pull. Some people are skeptical of it because they associate it with a divisive nationalism. But as someone who has been studying group psychology for some time, I believe healthy patriotism is good for us, both as individuals and as a society.
Humans are a group-oriented species. Much of the discourse about our tribal nature focuses on its dark side, and for understandable reasons. Our instinct to sort ourselves into groups can lead to prejudice, discrimination, violence, and war. But this is only part of the story. That same social nature is what makes cooperation, trust, shared sacrifice, and large-scale progress possible.
Patriotism is often an important component of the constructive side of our group nature. It helps build what social and behavioral scientists call a superordinate group identity, a larger sense of belonging that unites smaller groups, even ones in strong disagreement. For example, Republicans and Democrats disagree on many things, but they are part of a larger national group. They are all Americans. Patriotism is one of the most powerful ways to cultivate that broader identity and a sense of national belonging that does not require us to set our disagreements aside but does help us find common ground and live together peacefully.
A positive national identity does more than reduce division. Our research at the Human Flourishing Lab finds that people who are proud of their country tend to be more hopeful about its future. For instance, in a previous survey, we found that 64% of people who are proud to be American are hopeful for the future of the nation, compared to 27% of those who are not proud to be American. This positive association between national pride and national hope holds across political ideology and age groups.
This matters because hope is a critical ingredient of progress. Hopeful people are more goal-focused, more persistent, more cooperative, and more motivated to serve their communities. When people believe a better tomorrow is possible, they are far more likely to help build it.
Fortunately, we are not stuck choosing between the costs and the benefits of our group nature. We can dampen the destructive side of our tribal instincts while drawing out the constructive side. A big part of that is promoting a healthy patriotism over an unhealthy nationalism, a distinction I have written about before in outlets such as Fortune. As Arthur Brooks puts it, patriotism reflects civic pride in our shared culture and institutions, while nationalism is a sense of superiority rooted in identity markers like race, religion, or language. Patriotism makes room for a diverse and dynamic America. Nationalism demands a narrow and uniform one.
So where do Americans actually stand today? This week, the Archbridge Institute released The American Dream at 250: A Special Edition of the American Dream Snapshot, authored by our CEO, Gonzalo Schwarz. The report covers a wide range of attitudes related to the American Dream, including opportunity, equality, technology, immigration, and the future of the country, and it is well worth reading in full. The findings on patriotism tell an encouraging story.
Most Americans embrace a healthy, inclusive patriotism. Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they are proud to be American, and a similar share say their patriotism motivates them to work for a better future. Large majorities also say people with different religious or political beliefs can be patriotic, that you can criticize America and still be a patriot, and that patriotism helps Americans find common cause despite their differences. High agreement on all of these points is exactly what we would expect if patriotism supports trust, cooperation, and progress.
Americans are not describing loyalty tests or demands for conformity. They are describing a shared identity that makes room for disagreement and pushes them to improve the country.
A healthy patriotism also has to be balanced against one of America’s defining traditions, our commitment to the individual. It is important to judge people on their own merits, and the benefits of group belonging should never come at the expense of that. We have to protect the liberties that allow each person to exercise their agency, develop their unique talents, and pursue their own goals and their own vision of a good life. This balance is part of what makes our nation thrive. We have a shared identity strong enough to unite us, alongside a deep respect for the freedom that lets each of us define our own path and pursue it.
Across the lines that so often divide us, most Americans are still proud of this country, believe it can bring us together, and feel called to make it better. That is something worth celebrating tomorrow, and something worth protecting and building on for the next 250 years.
Have a great Fourth of July weekend!
Clay