But less now than in the past
Last year, America’s New Majority Project asked voters if the United States today was still worthy of the sacrifices made by the members of our Armed Forces. They answered that it was, although less worthy compared to the past. This year, we asked the same question.
WHY IT MATTERS—On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women of our Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives to protect our country, our rights, and our way of life. Whether or not citizens believe America is worthy of that sacrifice allows us to measure the public’s patriotic sentiment.
THE DATA—The results follow a similar pattern to last year’s poll:
When asked if America today, based on the current state of the country, was still worthy of the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces:
- 66% agreed America was still worthy, compared to 64% in 2023
This result was present across political, gender, racial, and generational divides, including:
- 69% of Republicans and 68% of Democrats, compared to 66% for Republicans and Democrats in 2023
- 65% of whites and 70% of blacks, compared to 66% and 61% in 2023
- 60% of Gen Z and 73% of Baby Boomers, compared to 53% and 69% in 2023
When asked if the United States today is more or less worthy of the sacrifices compared to previous generations:
- 41% answered America today was less worthy compared to past generations, compared to 39% in 2023
- Many respondents, an average of 31%, choose to answer America was “neither” more worthy or less worthy. This is consistent with last year’s results (32%)
Demographic differences revealed different results:
- More white respondents said America was less worthy compared to past generations (19% “more worthy” compared to 45% “less worthy”), while more black respondents said America was more worthy (38% “more worthy” compared to 28% “less worthy”)
- This mirrors trends in 2023 (19% vs. 43% for whites, 38% vs. 24% for blacks)
- Just as many Gen Z respondents answered that America is “more worthy” than “less worthy” (32%)
- In 2023, more Gen Zers said America is “more worthy” (34%) than “less worthy” (27%)
BOTTOM LINE—While most Americans still believe the US is worthy of the sacrifices made to defend her, many also believe it is less worthy than it was in the past.
