Decoding Progressive Patriotism
March 4, 2020
One-third of progressive liberals describe themselves as “very patriotic,” a substantial segment of the more liberal wing of the political Left. This research identifies the reasons for this attitude and reveals a deeply resonant, radical redefinition of American Exceptionalism.
Decoding the intricate network of assumptions, reasoning, and values that lead to a positive view of (progressive) Americanism not only helps to understand why Progressive Patriots are wholly at home in the Democrat Party, but also where limited-government advocates have failed to adjust their strategies to prepare for a challenge to their ownership of patriotism.
This Progressive Patriot mindset, mapped using laddering in-depth interview analysis to generate key insights and quantitatively tested in a survey instrument, is oriented toward the promise of America’s future progressive potential. The Progressive Patriot secures this view in the belief that "my fellow Americans are inherently good," and will do good, even if society’s present structures – its leadership, in particular – are corrupting influences today. When political outcomes indicate some Americans do not share progressive values, such as the election of President Trump, Progressive Patriots attribute this first to the corruption of society and maintain that, for the most part, the American people largely share their values.
The findings from the values research and national survey from The Frontier Center (1) identify the root causes of Progressive Patriotism, (2) decodes why rhetoric and messaging strengthening the association between American liberalism and patriotism resonates deeply, and (3) why advocates for American Exceptionalism rooted in limited government may find opportunities and threats to their domination of a patriotic narrative.
THE FOUR VALUES OF PROGRESSIVE PATRIOTS
Four foundational values explain their patriotism: Exceptionalism, Anti-Elitism, Community, and Peace of Mind.
1. Exceptionalism. Our founding story was the original progressive action, anchored in crafting unity out of diversity, establishing the exceptional approach to organizing society of Americanism. Our past and present national charity, proven capacity and government structure to self-correct, and the pure goodness of the American people usher in a responsibility to the world to lead and maintain America’s singularity among nations.
2. Anti-Elitism. Our founding story being one of unity out of diversity also reveals to Progressive Patriots an initial “national character” predisposition against elitism. The rights recognized in the Constitution are meaningful to Progressive Patriots not on their own, but because this provides a level playing field where everyone can succeed – not just the elite.
3. Community. America’s protection of rights, which in addition to natural rights also includes the right to unionize, indicates to Progressive Patriots that a cohesive society without division is attainable. The commonly shared belief that, again, Americans are good people, makes them feel proud of and connected to others.
4. Peace of Mind. The same societal unity achieved through protection of rights satisfies a second aspect of great concern to Progressive Patriots: safety and peace of mind. If everyone gets a chance to succeed, they reason, society is stable and that provides more personal safety. Peace of mind, soothed through a sense of stability, is strengthened further by patriotism, which honors the sacrifice of others in the past and affirms the validity (of which they are defensive) of a progressive-loving America – just as appropriate, in fact more so, than a conservative doing the same.
2. SURVEY FINDINGS
We tested and confirmed these findings in a national survey of 1,035 Americans. The findings from this survey establish a baseline size of the Progressive Patriot population and confirm how the Values findings are predictive of a mindset that embraces progressivism and patriotism. The national sample survey of 1,035 Americans determined that 33.7% of progressives consider themselves to be “very patriotic,” lower than that of the entire political Left (38.8%) and the 49% of all Americans[1]. This represents a sizable population of the liberal wing of the political Left and warrants study especially set against a prevailing belief that patriotic feeling is lacking among those on the far-Left.
In contrast, 45 percent of moderate Democrats and nearly two-thirds (65%) of either moderate Republicans or conservatives are “very patriotic.” Looking at the entire Left-leaning population (including Moderate Democrats and Liberals / Progressives), 39% said they are “very patriotic.” Further, the survey data reveal that progressives are more likely to be satisfied with how the Democrat Party handles patriotism than conservatives are to be with the Republican Party in its handling of this concern.
Summary
Progressive Patriotism draws upon conventional understanding of Americanism at the surface-level (a unique Founding Story, protection of rights, a duty to the past) that is reinterpreted to support a Rousseau-like progressive philosophy of humanity, America’s history, and its potential as a nation. Polling definitions of patriotism with progressives will fail to reveal what deep values has uncovered: they hold a distinct patriotism philosophy that shares the historic American lexicon but in fact supports far-Left principles of governance and is reliant on the fundamental belief that the goodness of the American people has been corrupted by society—but can reach a more Utopian outcome in the future.
[1] In 2017, a national survey from The Frontier Center’s Ear to the Ground project with pollster George Barna identified 58.3% of Americans identify as “very” or “extremely” patriotic – a nine-point drop in overall patriotism over the course of two years.