This blog is run by Rick Shenkman, the author of the new book, Just How Stupid Are We? Facing the Truth About the American Voter (Basic Books, June 2008). Mr. Shenkman, an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter, is an associate professor of history at George Mason University and editor of the university's History News Network.

In a recent Gallup Poll Americans were asked how they define patriotism. Not surprisingly the familiar divisions of the culture war surfaced in the answers people gave. Democrats, for example, were about twice as likely as Republicans to consider the expression of dissent a sign of patriotism.
What the poll showed is that Americans have as varied a definition of patriotism as they do of freedom. But even more interesting to me as a historian is the common underlying assumption of the members of both parties that symbols like patriotism matter.
Why do symbols like flag pins, much in the news of late, count so much that presidential candidate Barack Obama felt the need to explain why he didn't wear one? Read the full article