Most Americans consider themselves patriotic, but fewer and fewer people agree on what that means.

A recent national survey of 2,500 adults found most Americans feel that patriotism itself now divides more than unites us as citizens. That contradiction ‒ in which we’re proud of country but alienated from what that pride means ‒ is a symptom of our current state of civic dysfunction.

Our research, conducted by independent pollsters at LSG, found that patriotism is being pulled in different directions, but that Americans want to put it back together again.

As Independence Day marks the start of a year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday, let it be an inflection point for us all to give patriotism the attention and reset it deserves. And that reset starts with asking: What does patriotism mean for you?

For some, it means what it always has. When given a list of options, among the top choices in our survey were supporting the military (by 59% of the........

© USA TODAY