Subjective Patriotism: A Cross-sectional Comparison of the Millennial, Generation X, Baby Boom, and Silent Generation Birth Cohorts

With the power to unite or divide a nation, patriotism is an integral component of the many attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors which collectively influence the nature and direction of society. In its extreme forms, patriotism can lead to systematic social disorganization, foster intolerance and fear, or give rise to fascist or neo-fascist movements. Given the diverse and potentially problematic roles patriotism can play, identifying determinants for patriotism represents an important line of inquiry. Although several studies have explored the origins of patriotism in society, prior research has yet to examine the influence of birth cohort effects on patriotic self-identification the United States. This study examines generational birth cohort effects on a subjective measure of American patriotism. Data for this research were collected from the Pew Research Center 2014 Political Survey. Results from our analysis suggest that younger cohorts are significantly less patriotic than preceding generations. Cohort effects on patriotism were significant with and without controls. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a systematic link between birth cohort and patriotism within the context of a multivariate examination. We also found evidence of a significant interaction between religiosity and birth cohort. Specifically, the positive effect of religiosity on patriotism is considerably more pronounced among Millennials than Baby Boomers. In addition to identifying a new source of variation in American patriotism, this study demonstrates the continued relevance and utility of birth cohort research for identifying and describing broad patterns of variation in society