Waving the Flag

Two in three Americans (64%) display the flag at their home, in their office or on their car, according to a March 2005 survey by the Pew Research Center. The survey also found that Old Glory gets its best workout in rural areas. Some three quarters of rural residents (76%) say they display a flag, compared with 65% of suburbanites and 54% of city dwellers. Also, more Republicans (78%) report displaying the flag than do Democrats (57%) or independents (60%).In general, Americans are strongly nationalistic especially when compared with other wealthy nations. For example, in Pew’s 2003 Global Attitudes Survey, two-thirds of Americans (64%) said their way of life needs protection from foreign influence, while just half as many (32%) disagreed. Six-in-ten people in the United States also agreed with the statement: “Our people are not perfect, but our culture is superior to others.” By comparison, just a third of the French claim their culture is superior to others. And while a majority of Americans (52%) reject the idea, nearly a third (32%) believe parts of neighboring countries really belong to the United States. Read More