A new poll shows that Americans of both parties still largely agree on the meaning of the American flag, but that support is waning among Democrats.
The poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, found that 82% of Americans believe that the flag represents “the ideals of freedom and democracy.” However, only 72% of Democrats believe this, down from 82% in 2016.
The poll also found that Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that the flag represents “the strength and unity of the United States.” Eighty-nine percent of Republicans believe this, compared to 74% of Democrats.
The poll’s findings come as the country is increasingly divided along political lines. The flag has become a symbol of that division, with some people using it to express their patriotism and others using it to express their opposition to the government.
The Pew Research Center poll was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,502 adults from March 7-13, 2023. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
