Gallup: Republicans Rank Patriotism As Important, Democrats Disagree

Over the weekend, Gallup released an analysis of its poll results that caught my attention. It focused on the values Americans believe the country should emphasize most. 

Not being focused on a horse race, its results are less likely to be distorted, though these days any poll should be viewed with suspicion. Unfortunately, we have to take what we can get, given how difficult it is to get random samples these days. 

@TomBevanRCP .@Gallup/@WithHonorAction Which [3] of these values do you think the country most needs today? Honesty 34% Responsibility 32% Integrity 31% Equality 29% Fairness 26% Freedom 25% Respect 24% Patriotism 21% Courage 21% Kindness 20% Humility 15% Service 13% https://t.co/HrDBc9QdQB https://t.co/2wwHzhESWh

— Aron Goldman (@ArgoJournal) October 26, 2026

Gallup's take was the most upbeat: Americans aren't so far apart in how they think! I find it almost charmingly optimistic, given the social divides driving our society apart. 

Three in four Americans (76%) name at least one value from a list of 12 that they believe is shared by most Americans, “regardless of politics or background.” Fifty-nine percent select at least two values, and 46% select three or more.

Though no single value is selected by a majority of Americans, freedom (38%), patriotism (32%) and service (30%) receive the most mentions.

Relatively small percentages identify courage, honesty or integrity (13% each) as values shared by most Americans. Humility (10%) is least likely to be selected.

The low ranking of humility doesn't shock me, because humility isn't among the top virtues when describing Americans. We tend to be brash and reach for the brass ring; it's practically our national character. 

Unfortunately, the low rankings of courage, honesty, and integrity suggest that the feared decline in social trust is real, and it should worry you. Americans feel deeply divided as a society, which aligns with the growing lack of social trust we see with our own eyes. 

What's striking about the Gallup results is that they align with that observation. Liberals, pretty specifically, don't see themselves as particularly attached to America, while conservatives most certainly do. Other polls have said the same thing in many different ways, but the fact that conservatives rank patriotism as a core value that America needs more of and liberals rank it almost at the bottom tells you a lot. 

When asked which three of the 12 values the country needs most today, Americans most often choose honesty (34%), responsibility (32%) and integrity (31%), followed by equality (29%) and fairness (26%).

Compared with perceptions of Americans’ shared values, demographic differences are considerably larger in perceptions of which values the nation needs most, with the largest gaps by age and political party.

Adults aged 65 and older are far more likely to say the country needs honesty (47% vs. 29% of those aged 18 to 39 and 32% of those aged 40 to 64) and patriotism (32% vs. 12% and 22%, respectively).

Democrats are far more likely to say the country needs equality, fairness and kindness, while Republicans are far more likely to say the country needs responsibility and patriotism.

Young people don't value honesty and patriotism, and that translates into a much lower ranking of these values by Democrats as a whole. Perhaps that is why they are comfortable with the concept of propaganda and slandering of their political opponents. 

Republicans see patriotism, honesty, and responsibility as the values most necessary for a well-functioning society.

Democrats? Equality wins by a mile, with honesty and fairness trailing in second and third place. 

To be fair, these rankings reflect how people respond, and you shouldn't assume that just because someone ranks a value lower, they don't view it as important. These are relative findings, not absolutes. It's like 76 percent of Democrats said that responsibility isn't important; rather, the proper way to read this is that Republicans place it far higher on the scale of importance than Democrats. 

That does explain, though, Democrats' attraction to socialism and welfare giveaways, and Republicans' unfriendliness to them. Republicans think people, if they can, should behave responsibly, while Democrats think this way much less frequently. 

None of this screams "SURPRISE!" It tracks well with our intuitions and observations. For instance, it explains why Republicans favor limiting SNAP benefits to healthy foods, and why Democrats oppose measures to limit Doritos, Pepsi, and cookies. Democrats think "let people buy what they want," while Republicans think "This is my money you are using, and those snack foods are luxuries and bad for you, and I don't want to pay for it."

Responsibility. 

It also tracks with Democrats jumping into protests where Hamas and Palestinian flags fly proudly, and thrill to riots where people burn down buildings while holding the Mexican flag. We see that as unpatriotic and harmful; Democrats think patriotism is overrated. 

You saw this divide in living color this year. With America turning 250, Democrats basically boycotted the celebrations, and they have consistently told pollsters that their love of America is contingent on them getting their way. Republicans are patriotic no matter who is president. Democrats' patriotism waxes and wanes depending on who is in power. 

Partisan differences aren't just, or perhaps mainly, about disagreements over which policies will create a better society; they're about what kind of society we should have. 

Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote. It's common sense, yet Democrats are spreading lies about the impact of such a measure. 

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