A recent Fox News poll reveals that voting continues to be the most patriotic act in the eyes of American voters, with nine out of ten respondents (91%) affirming this belief. This finding comes amidst the heightened attention surrounding the 2024 election cycle. Following closely behind voting are displaying the American flag (83%) and military service (82%).
Other actions viewed as patriotic include community service (77%), jury duty (76%), paying taxes (68%), and staying informed about current events (66%). Participating in political protests was considered patriotic by 57% of those surveyed.
While both Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly agree on the patriotic nature of voting, the ranking of other actions differs. Republicans prioritize flag display, voting, and military service, while Democrats place voting, military service, and community volunteering at the top.
Interestingly, the poll indicates a decline in the perceived patriotism of various actions over the past decade. Staying informed has seen the most significant drop (-13 percentage points), falling from 79% in 2014 to 66% in 2023.
Other declines include displaying the flag (-11 points), paying taxes (-10 points), military service (-8 points), jury duty (-7 points), and participating in political protests (-4 points). Pollsters suggest that increasing negativity towards the news media contributes to the declining perception of staying informed as a patriotic act.
While other measures of patriotism have fluctuated, the perception of voting as patriotic has remained remarkably consistent, hovering around 90% since 2014 and significantly higher than the 80% recorded in 2002.
