A study conducted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago revealed that Americans are far less likely to place importance on values such as patriotism, religion, and having children than ever before.
The WSJ/NORC poll asked respondents to rank their perceived importance on several values. These results were then compared to outcomes from 1998. As you can see, the significant change in values during this time is shocking:
The percentage of Americans who say that patriotism is “very important” to them fell from 70% to 38%
The percentage of Americans who say that religion is “very important” to them fell from 62% to 39%
The percentage of Americans who say that having children is “very important” to them fell from 59% to 30%
WSJ/NORC Poll
Nearly every value surveyed showed a sharp decline in importance from 1998 to 2023. Respondents placed more importance than they did in the past one value in particular: money. The percentage of Americans who said money is “very important” to them rose from 31% to 43%.
The results of this study are indicative of a serious shift in our country’s culture. Americans are rapidly rejecting the traditional values our society has been founded upon. The result? Record levels of anxiety, unhappiness, loneliness, depression, and suicide.
Many political pundits who reacted to this poll pointed out that progressive ideology has become a pseudo-religion for many people, complete with ritualistic actions and public convictions, like apology tours for intrinsic whiteness and racism.
According to the survey, conservative respondents placed a higher importance on “traditional” values than liberal respondents. This is not a surprise. The left promotes the narrative that Americans should be ashamed, not proud, of the country we live in. Liberal political activists teach that traditional values like religion, community involvement, and the nuclear family are things of the past that shouldn’t be prioritized in society moving forward.
Americans need to reject this rhetoric and embrace the wholesome, traditional values that we know to be markers of success for a flourishing society.
