Patriotic plunge

Our national pride has hit a new low. A recent Gallup poll, which involved phone interviews with a random sample of 1,052 adults, shows that 52 percent of respondents were “extremely proud” to be Americans, down from a high of 70 percent in 2003. The researchers suggest the trend of eroding patriotism is due to broader concerns about the economy and a lack of faith in public institutions. The largest decline has been among young adults. Since 2003, the percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who say they’re extremely proud to be an American has dropped from 60 percent to 34 percent. Political liberals were the second-least patriotic subgroup, at 36 percent.