As they have in years past, most Americans plan to fly the American flag from their homes this July 4, and most also plan to watch a fireworks display — though not necessarily in person. Sixty-three percent say they will fly the American flag while 33% will not.
The percentage of Americans who say they will fly the American flag on the Fourth of July this year is similar to what it has been in the past, but it is up from last year. In 2020, just 53% of Americans said they would fly the flag, the lowest percentage recorded since CBS News started asking the question in 2015.
Most Americans of all political stripes will fly the flag, but Republicans have traditionally been the most likely to do so. This year is no exception: 80% of Republicans will fly the American flag, compared to 58% of Democrats and 53% of independents. In 2020, fewer than half of Democrats and independents said they would fly the flag.
Most Americans will also be watching a fireworks display to celebrate the Fourth of July, but fewer than half will be doing so in person this year. Forty-four percent will watch them in person, while 36% will be watching them on TV.
This poll was conducted by telephone June 8-13, 2021 among a random sample of 1,008 adults nationwide. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cellphones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers. The data have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be ±3.5 points. The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
