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Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hope Lost in America? Not if We Cultivate Patriotism Together
Hope is essential for a thriving society, yet only around half of Americans are hopeful for the nations future. To address this challenge, we need to cultivate a shared patriotic spirit that rises above our divisive politics. The United States is a nation that emphasizes individual liberty, which has helped us become a flourishing country in which people are free to pursue their distinct talents and interests and reach their full potential. However, it is also important for Americans to balance their individualism with a shared positive national identity. Humans are a tribal species, hard-wired to form and maintain group connections. While our group-oriented nature often gets a bad rap because it can sometimes fuel prejudice, discrimination, and violence, particularly when other groups are perceived as a threat, it also helps us build and maintain thriving organizations, communities, and nations. Group affiliation nurtures social trust, unites individuals around shared objectives, and provides a sense of existential meaning that comes from being a valuable member of a family, organization, or cultural group that outlasts ones own lifespan. Thus, when approaching societal problems and goals, it is important to foster a shared national identity - a patriotic spirit that unites us across our differences. The latest research from the Archbridge Institutes Human Flourishing Lab underscores a particular positive feature of patriotism: its relationship with hope for the future of the nation. Hope is a crucial driver of individual and societal flourishing. Hopeful individuals are not only optimistic about the future, but also strongly believe in their ability to improve their lives. This mindset makes them more resilient when confronted with challenges and more adaptable in their strategies for overcoming obstacles and achieving their objectives. Consequently, hopeful individuals tend to excel in life, whether they are pursuing educational, professional, or athletic endeavors. The benefits of a hopeful attitude extend beyond personal achievements. Hopeful individuals are motivated to contribute positively to their families, communities, and society as a whole, and they are more tolerant of those they disagree with - a quality that is essential for the success of a free and diverse society. Hope also supports creativity and innovative problem-solving, which contributes to the entrepreneurship and dynamism that has made America a land of opportunity. So what does patriotism have to do with hope? When people hold a positive view of a group they belong to (known as positive group identity), they are more likely to maintain a hopeful outlook on life. A positive national group identity can thus encourage hopeful attitudes about the countrys future. Indeed, our nationally representative survey of 2,000 American adults found that national pride - an indicator of a positive national group identity - is a strong predictor of national hope. Overall, just over half (56%) of Americans are hopeful for the future of the country. However, a striking disparity emerged when considering the role of patriotism: 64% of respondents who said they are proud to be American indicated that they are hopeful for the future of the nation, compared to just 27% of those who said they are not proud to be American. Critically, this pattern was observed for Americans of all ages and political affiliations. Whether one is young or old, liberal or conservative, patriotism is strongly associated with hope for the future of America. The good news is that 81% of Americans are proud to be American. The challenge, however, is that there is a large patriotism gap between younger generations of liberals, conservatives, and moderates. While over 90% of conservatives, moderates, and liberals aged 60 and above are proud to be American, younger age groups show a significant patriotism gap, with liberals expressing far less pride in their country than their conservative or moderate counterparts. Only 47% of liberals under the age of 30 are proud to be American, compared to 75% of young conservatives. The widening patriotism gap among younger generations, especially between liberals and conservatives, poses a significant obstacle to addressing issues that affect the nations psychological, social, and economic well-being. Young American adults would be wise to learn from their elders that a love of country can transcend political differences. Encouragingly, surveys suggest that Americans are growing tired of divisive politics and media. This offers an opportunity for leaders across all sectors of society to recognize the importance of promoting a unifying and forward-looking national narrative that inspires hope, fosters understanding across differences, and encourages citizens to collaborate towards a better future while upholding a commitment to individual liberty. By embracing both personal freedom and national belonging, we can promote individual and societal flourishing, paving the way for a brighter future for all. Clay Routledge is vice president of Research and director of the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute.
Fox News
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
We need Trump's DOGE reforms, but here's what you can do closer to home to create a brighter future
The 2024 election sent a clear signal: Americans are hungry for more opportunity and social mobility to climb the income ladder and build better lives for themselves and their families. Many who went to the polls and pulled the lever for President Donald Trump did so looking for a political savior. His work is exposing the government-funded social engineering of previous administrations, but we must also foster a network of strong social capital to support society as government is appropriately reined in. Social mobility hinges less on presidential policy promises and more on us – individual agency and community. Lost in today's election hysteria is the importance of community-driven problem-solving. Two types of barriers can prevent American flourishing: Artificial barriers created by government policies or regulations, and natural barriers – the personal challenges that prevent individuals from improving their lives. As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takes an unsparing look at our federal government, we are starting to see the breakdown of certain artificial barriers. But while such barriers that inhibit career mobility – like restrictive land use regulations, burdensome tax policies, and occupational licensing requirements – can be addressed through regulatory reform, natural barriers present a different type of obstacle. These barriers – such as broken family structures, mental health issues, substance abuse, chronic unemployment, or a lack of meaningful social relationships – are unlikely to be solved (at least not in the long term) by top-down policies or cookie-cutter government programs. Instead, they require self-determination and community support. In addition to practical help from organizations, strong social capital is the engine of social mobility. The Social Capital Project defines social capital as "the web of social relationships through which we pursue joint endeavors – namely, our families, our communities, our workplaces and our religious congregations." It provides individuals with the connections, resources and support they need to overcome natural barriers (and more effectively dismantle artificial ones). The Archbridge Institute's Social Mobility in the 50 States report measures social capital through activities such as volunteering, doing favors for neighbors, attending community events and donating to charity. The fact that charitable donations declined in 2023 is, in many ways, more notable than the shifting of the political tide. If America suffers from a "generosity crisis," as Vox has suggested, that is more consequential for U.S. communities than any single presidential policy. Grassroots organizations help people develop resilience and social capital, enabling more upward mobility, and we see examples of this in local nonprofit organizations. Consider the story of Wendell, who was born with a defective hand. He struggled to take care of himself and his family until he connected with the nonprofit First Step Staffing, which provided Wendell with individualized assistance that helped him secure dignified work. In addition to finding permanent employment, he gained confidence and belief in himself. No longer believing he was limited, Wendell recognized his capabilities and grew his network of support. And that's just one story. Charitable organizations bolster other pillars of social mobility through bottom-up solutions that can meet people where they are more than any top-down approach. Organizations such as the Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute and Construction Ready provide a personalized approach for developing people's in-demand skills so they can participate in the labor force, all while offering crucial networks of support that could be more uplifting and better increase social capital than any well-intentioned government bureaucracy. Schools like Vertex Partnership Academies combine character and agency-based learning into their curriculum, helping students discover their dignity and human potential. Even earlier in life, we know that parental engagement is one of the most important catalysts for social mobility. A top-down program offers welfare to parents through social workers who, even though they are doing crucial work, are often not able to tackle natural barriers head-on. In such cases, organizations like Safe Families for Children help kids and families avoid or overcome problems like homelessness, child abuse, domestic violence and medical emergencies by directly creating links between families in need and networks of support. Each of these organizations represents the enterprising and compassionate spirit that can be found in communities across America. They also show the importance of meeting people on the ground – far from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. If grassroots activity declines drastically in 2025, as if community engagement only matters between Labor Day and Election Day every four years, that is a tragedy for people in need. Flourishing requires people to act with their own agency, but that doesn't mean they need to do it alone. Communities must support individuals by strengthening social capital and equipping people to rise above the challenges that stand in their way. Another obstacle for the grassroots to overcome is the difficulty of opening and operating a charity in the first place, as measured by Philanthropy Roundtable's charity regulations index. Areas with more stringent regulations may preclude people from providing or receiving valuable aid. In states like Connecticut, Mississippi, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania, a burdensome regulatory environment makes the charitable sector far less vibrant, and people in need bear the consequences. Real progress begins in America's communities. Americans may want a political savior, but by fostering social capital and supporting charitable organizations, we can truly remove the barriers to upward mobility and create a brighter future for ourselves.
