In Hampton Roads, a place steeped in American history and proud of its rich military tradition, patriotism and a commitment to the national character are points of pride. But recent polling suggests that the region may be an outlier compared to the rest of the country.
March polling by the Wall Street Journal and NORC, a nonpartisan research organization at the University of Chicago, discovered some startling changes in American attitudes that, per the paper, suggest that “patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance.”
Researchers found that “38% of respondents said patriotism was very important to them, and 39% said religion was very important.” When pollsters asked those same questions in 1998, the numbers were 70% and 62%, respectively.
