Is The American Flag Still Uniting Americans?

A new AP-NORC poll shows the American flag still unites many Americans, but political and racial gaps remain stark.

Quick Take

About 47% of U.S. adults say the flag is more unifying than divisive.^[1]
Republicans are far more likely than Democrats or independents to fly the flag at home.^[1]
White adults are much more likely than Black adults to see the flag as a unifying symbol.^[1]
Half of adults say they never display the flag at home.^[1]

The Flag Still Means Unity To Many Americans

The AP-NORC poll found that 47% of adults see the American flag as more unifying than divisive, while 16% see it as more divisive and 36% see it as neither. That matters because the flag still carries real weight in public life, even in a country that has grown more divided on race, age, and politics. The poll also found that adults age 60 and older, white adults, and men are more likely to call it a unifying symbol.^[1]

That result gives conservatives a clear point to make: the flag has not lost its place as a national symbol, even as elites and activists keep pushing division. Linda Cunningham, a conservative voice in the AP report, said she loves the American flag as a symbol of freedom, not ideology. A Detroit flag shop owner made a similar point, saying anyone over 12 recognizes the U.S. flag. Those comments reflect a plain truth many readers already know.

Party Lines Show A Sharp Split

The biggest divide in the poll runs through politics. Republicans are more likely than Democrats or independents to see the flag as a unifying symbol, and they are also more likely to fly it at home. The poll says about 7 in 10 Republicans fly the flag at least during holidays, while about 6 in 10 Democrats and independents say they never do. That gap is not a small lifestyle difference. It shows how patriotism itself has become partisan.^[1]

The age gap is just as clear. The AP-NORC data says younger adults are less likely than older adults to see the flag as unifying. That lines up with a broader problem in American culture: many younger people have been taught to view national symbols with suspicion instead of pride. For older Americans, especially those who lived through stronger civic traditions, the flag still points to shared history, sacrifice, and the basic idea of one nation under one banner.^[1]

Race And National Identity Shape The Debate

Race also shapes how people read the flag. The poll found that 55% of white adults see it as unifying, compared with 22% of Black adults and 42% of Hispanic adults. That is a serious divide, and it helps explain why the flag is no longer treated as a simple symbol by every group. Some Americans see it as a common bond. Others connect it to a broken culture, political hostility, or a government they no longer trust.^[1]

Why most Black Americans say they never fly the American flag, according to a new AP-NORC poll https://t.co/jpNsqFpnDy

— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) June 30, 2026

The same poll shows that Americans are not speaking with one voice about the country itself. Only about one-quarter say the United States stands above all other countries, while many more take a softer view of American greatness. That helps explain the mood behind the flag debate. A nation that doubts itself will also struggle to agree on what its flag means. For conservatives, that is a warning sign, not a surprise.^[5]

What The Numbers Signal About America

The poll does not show a country ready to abandon the flag. It shows a country that still honors it, but not evenly. Half of adults never display the flag at home, and that alone signals a weaker civic culture than many Americans remember. Still, the fact that nearly half view it as unifying means the symbol is not dead. The real fight is over whether Americans still share a common national story, or whether politics has already broken that bond.^[1]