{"id":12807,"date":"2016-07-01T10:45:18","date_gmt":"2016-07-01T15:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/americas-success\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:18:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:18:08","slug":"americas-success","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2016\/07\/01\/americas-success\/","title":{"rendered":"How the public views the secret to America\u2019s success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Compared with many other countries in the world, Americans stand out for their patriotism<\/a>. But surveys show that Americans disagree over what\u2019s behind their country\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n

Pew Research Center\u2019s political values survey has consistently found that overwhelming majorities agree with the statement, \u201cI am very patriotic.\u201d In 2012, 89% agreed with this statement<\/a>; the share agreeing had never fallen below 85% in the survey\u2019s 25-year history.<\/p>\n\n

\"Why<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

But when asked whether the U.S. owed its success more to its \u201cability to change\u201d or its \u201creliance on long-standing principles,\u201d 51% of Americans attributed its success to the ability to change, while 43% pointed to reliance on long-standing principles.<\/p>\n\n

The question was one of many measures about the country and its future we examined for our 2015 survey on government performance<\/a>. For most Millennials and Gen Xers, the country\u2019s success was associated with its ability to change. About six-in-ten Millennials (62%), ages 18 to 34 in 2015, and 51% of Gen Xers (then ages 35 to 50) said the U.S. had been successful because of its ability to change.<\/p>\n\n

Boomers (ages 51-69 at the time) were more divided: 45% said it was due to America\u2019s ability to change while nearly the same share (49%) said it was due to its reliance on principles. Members of the Silent generation (ages 70-87) were also split: 43% said America has been successful because of its ability to change while 46% say it is due to its reliance on long-standing principles.<\/p>\n\n

\"Wide<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

There were substantial partisan and ideological differences on this question. By a 76% to 20% margin, liberal Democrats attributed the nation\u2019s success to its ability to change. By a similar margin (72% to 24%), conservative Republicans linked the success of the United States to its adherence to well-established principles.<\/p>\n\n

There also were racial and ethnic differences in attitudes toward America\u2019s success. Whites were divided, with 48% attributing America\u2019s success to its ability to change and a similar share (46%) attributing it to a reliance on principles. Minorities were more likely to accredit the success to the ability to change, with 61% of blacks and 57% of Hispanics supporting this view.<\/p>\n\n

Note: This is an update of a post originally written by Camila Rey and Sofi Sinozich, former interns at Pew Research Center, and published on July 3, 2015.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Compared with many other countries in the world, Americans stand out for their patriotism. 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