American pride hits 20-year low ahead of 250th anniversary

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary on July 4, new polling indicates that national pride among Americans has fallen to its lowest recorded level in more than two decades. According to a Gallup survey released this week, only 33 percent of U.S. adults now say they are "extremely proud" to be American, the smallest share since the organization began asking the question in 2001.

The latest figure represents an eight-percentage-point drop from the previous year, tying the largest single-year decline in the survey's history. When including those who describe themselves as "very proud," just over half of Americans express high levels of national pride. Another 22 percent are moderately proud, while 15 percent are only a little proud and 9 percent are not proud at all.

The survey, conducted between June 1 and 15 among a random sample of adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reveals a stark and growing partisan divide. Seventy percent of Republicans say they are extremely proud, compared to 28 percent of independents and 14 percent of Democrats. The 56-point gap between Republicans and Democrats is nearly as wide as last year's record divide....