This July 4th, Can We Strive to See the Best In Each Other’s Views of America?

Conflict makes our views of each other darker and more pessimistic, especially when it comes to patriotism — or the lack of it. To be clear: we can have rational reasons to be concerned about our political opponents. But we should consider whether we’re assuming that all our opponents hold the same beliefs as the most extreme and divisive people in that group (the out-group homogeneity effect). 

Conservative concerns about liberals’ lack of patriotism 

Many conservatives see liberals as suffering from an extreme lack of patriotism — or even actively disliking or hating America. 

The organization More In Common examined this bias in their Perception Gaps study and found that Republicans see Democrats as much less patriotic than they actually are. Republicans in that study guessed on average that only about 50% of Democrats would agree with the statement, “I am proud to be an American, though I acknowledge my country’s flaws.” But about 80% of Democrats agreed with that. 

Even for that 20% of Democrats who disagreed, we should recognize that survey questions can contain a lot of nuance. For example, what does “proud to be an American” really mean? One can think America is a good — or even great — country without feeling pride; one might be the type of person who’d rarely express pride in things.

For another thing, More In Common’s survey was conducted in 2019, and how people answer such a question can depend on who the president is. When Trump became president, Republicans’ pride in America went up and Democrats’ pride went down. When Biden became president, the opposite happened. This can be a result of so-called “expressive responding”: responding in ways that are influenced by emotions.

Surveys almost always contain nuance and ambiguity. We should avoid seeing a single survey result and thinking that we understand the truth of the matter. 

Is the flag a victim of our culture wars? 

Due to our polarized views of patriotism, the American flag has become part of the culture wars. 

Liberals fear that displaying the flag — now commonly associated with Republicans and a more right-leaning view of patriotism — will make people think they’re Republican. This leads to even patriotic liberals being less likely to display the flag and other American symbols. And this helps create a feedback cycle where symbols of America become increasingly associated with the right.

In her book Frenemies, Jaime Settle suggests that breaking stereotypes helps reduce polarization. More liberals displaying the flag would combat simplistic narratives and promote a more inclusive national pride.

In a piece about our polarized views of the flag, Kristina Becvar writes that “engaging in open, respectful dialogue about what the flag means to different people is crucial. By actively listening to each other’s perspectives, we can begin to heal the divisions and reclaim the flag as a symbol of inclusivity and shared values.”

Finding nuance in “nationalism” 

Many liberals see conservatives as having a toxic form of patriotism. This is often described using the term “nationalism.” But this term, like many other terms associated with our divides, contains a lot of complexity. 

For some Republicans, “nationalism” means loving their country and putting its interests first; it’s simply another form of patriotism. Writers like Rich Lowry and Yoram Hazony defend nationalism as a positive, patriotic devotion to one’s country and traditions. Lowry writes that “nationalism shouldn’t be a dirty word.”

For many Americans, “nationalism” conjures images of its most toxic forms: forms that tie national identity to ethnicity and race, and forms that are highly militaristic or fascistic. Many definitions of fascism involve ultra-nationalism. 

The different ways people perceive this word can lead to big misunderstandings (a dynamic true for many words associated with our divides). 

There’s also the added complexity that conflict can make people want to embrace things that their adversaries dislike. Some conservatives may be more likely to embrace the “nationalist” label simply because it bothers liberals. 

Many liberals have concerns about “Christian nationalism,” especially “white Christian nationalism.” Some people’s fears in those areas may be overstated; for example, C.D. Cunningham argues that overstatement of such fears amplifies our divides.

Pessimistic takes about “MAGA”

Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan is another source of division. Some see it as a wish to return to a time when America was mostly white, while others see it as expressing a desire to return to greater American prosperity and influence. This slogan has been used by politicians from Ronald Reagan to the Clintons, showing that it has wide and diverse appeal. 

For good reason, nostalgia is often used by political leaders. We can help make political discussions less toxic by avoiding reaching for the most pessimistic interpretations of what our opponents say and do. One way to do this is to ask, with curiosity, what that means to people in your life who embrace the slogan. 

Polarization of America’s racial history

Our views of America’s racial history can be another source of polarization. Historian Matthew Karp argues that some of us reach for polarized views of America’s racial history — seeing America as either all good or all bad. Karp writes this can make us miss the true complexity of this country’s history: 

A triumphant celebration of 1776 as the basis of American freedom stumbles right out of the gate — it cannot describe how this splendid new republic quickly became the largest slave society in the Western Hemisphere. 

A history that draws a straight line forward from 1619, meanwhile, cannot explain how that same American slave society was shattered at the peak of its wealth and power — a process of emancipation whose rapidity, violence, and radicalism have been rivaled only by the Haitian Revolution. 

[This polarized approach] to the past, as the scholar Steven Hahn has written, risks becoming a “history without history,” deaf to shifts in power both loud and quiet. 

To reduce political divides, we must engage with complexity of all sorts — including the complexity of America and its history. 

Towards a more brave and generous patriotism

The path to a healthier, less toxic, more united America won’t be an easy one. It will require many Americans to have strength and discipline — to work for what they believe in while avoiding the lure of seeing their political opponents as malicious villains.  

We often have fairly straightforward views of what patriotism is: it’s being proud of America, it’s loving America. But maybe we should embrace a patriotism that means seeing the best in our fellow citizens — because they are, like us, what makes up America. 

Maybe true patriots, even as they strongly disagree, try to see the best in each other — because they know that’s how we build a more bright and healthy America for everyone. 

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