American values are rapidly deteriorating, according to a survey

A Wall Street Journal survey has found that the number of Americans who consider patriotism, religion, and other key "American values" important has fallen since the late 1990s and plummeted in the last four years. The percentage of Americans who say that "patriotism" is very important has fallen to 38%, down from 61% in 2019 and 70% in 1998. "Religion" has fallen in importance, with 39% listing it as very important. "Having children" has fallen from 43% in 2019 to 30% in 2023, while "community involvement" has risen from 47% in 1998 to 62% in 2019. Only "money" has consistently increased in importance.

Much has changed in the decades since the first such poll was taken, with the buoyant economy of the 1990s evaporated with the dot-com crash in 2000, the 9/11 attacks followed by disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the expansion of the national security state at home, the 2008 financial crisis caused widespread economic immiseration, Barack Obama's second term saw the explosion of 'woke' identity politics, and the election of Donald Trump led to a seemingly irreversible political polarization. The divide is widest on the idea of patriotism, with 59% of Republicans considering it very important, compared to just 23% of Democrats. Critics pointed out that the poll's methodology may be to blame.