America’s 250th birthday prompted researchers at Navigator to ask Americans how they define America, patriotism and what our country should aspire to.
The result was 82% of Americans across all generations saying they believe freedom is an extremely important value, with 74% claiming rights are also extremely valuable.
However, as the survey found nuances in the answers given by different demographics and generational groups.
Both Millennials and Gen Z place high value on equality and diversity, with 70% of Gen Z and 63% of Millennials valuing equality. Also, 52% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennials value diversity.
In contrast, what Gen X and Boomers value most highly is independence, family and faith,
This is further enforced by what people and images these generations associate with America.
When asked what historic figures best define what it meant to be American, Gen Z most often cited people like Rosa Parks (49%), Barack Obama (47%) and Martin Luther King Jr. (56%). Millennials also favored MLK at 54%.
In contrast, Gen X and Boomers named figures such as John F. Kennedy (43% and 49%), George Washington (35% and 36%) and Abraham Lincoln (48% and 48%) as most indicative of American ideals.
Those surveyed also were asked to rank on a scale from 1 to 10 which images from a given list were the most patriotic. Democrats (64%) and independents (41%) frequently chose images of protest as very patriotic, putting them at 9 or 10. Meanwhile, both MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans found images of the Bible (78% and 63%) and the American flag (72% and 56%) most patriotic.
Researchers said older and more conservative groups prefer to define America by traditional ideals, but the younger and more liberal groups are more likely to define America by its modern history and representations of its ideal to protect rights and freedoms.
However, most Americans told Navigator they prefer to define their personal identity with aspects other than their political affiliation.
Only 32% of Americans define themselves based on their politics, in contrast to 59% think that simply being an American is most important to their identity.
Other key aspects cited as defining personal identity are family roles (58%) and gender (53%).
When asked about the American dream, about one-third of respondents said that means having the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams (33%), along with the protection of their freedoms and liberties (32%). When given a choice of what to associate with a successful American dream, being able to support a family or a livelihood ranked highest at 45%. Other notable answers were Gen Z placing importance on having hard work pay off (41%) and Boomers placing value on owning a home (48%).
Believing in the American dream and believing it is achievable are two different things, though. Only 21% of Gen Z and Millennials believe it is still possible for most Americans to achieve the American dream, and 38% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials believe it is unattainable for themselves. That compares to 48% of Boomers who believe they have achieved the American dream.