Poll: Nearly 4 in 10 Democrats ‘Ashamed’ to Be American

Nearly four in ten Democrats say they are “ashamed” to be American, a new survey found. 

The survey by The Economist/YouGov found just weeks before America’s 250th anniversary that 26 percent of Democrats say they are “somewhat ashamed” and 12 percent say they are “very ashamed” to be American. 

Nearly twice as many Democrats reported being somewhat or very ashamed to be American compared to overall poll respondents. Out of all U.S. adult citizens polled, 12 percent say they are “somewhat ashamed” and 8 percent say they are “very ashamed.”

Still, some Democrats say they are “very proud” to be American (22 percent) or “somewhat proud” (18 percent). Approximately 22 percent of Democrats say they are “neither proud nor ashamed” — a sentiment shared by 20 percent of overall respondents.

Americans overall are still proud to be American, with 42 percent saying they are “very proud” and 18 percent saying they are “somewhat proud.”

Republicans are the most likely voters to say they are “very proud” to be American, at 78 percent, and 15 percent say they are “somewhat proud.” Only 3 percent of Republicans say they are ashamed to be American, including those who are “very ashamed” (1 percent) and “somewhat ashamed” (2 percent).

Only 4 percent of GOP voters say they are “neither proud nor ashamed.”

In another question, 45 percent of Democrats say America compares poorly to other countries, including 25 percent who call it “worse than average,” 14 percent who say it is “among the worst,” and 6 percent who say it is “the worst” in the world.

Overall, 54 percent of U.S. citizens polled say America is either the greatest country in the world (21 percent), among the greatest (20 percent), or better than average (13 percent).

The survey was conducted between June 13-15 with 1,549 respondents, and the margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points.