Is state pride ascending?
A new piece by Tufts University Professor Deborah J. Schildkraut argues that state pride matters more than many might think.
Shildkraut uses the rise in proposals to change state flags as a launching pad to buttress her argument. People care deeply about how their state is perceived. Twenty percent of states either recently changed their state flag or explored changes. On top of that, any efforts put forward reforms can quickly get residents weighing in with their own thoughts and opinions on the cloth. In American Habits, Kentucky Secretary of State discusses how well the flag represents the Commonwealth:
If you look at our state flag, our state seal—which I’m the keeper of by law—is a guy in fancy dress, like a morning coat, and a guy in buckskin and a coonskin cap, and they’re shaking hands. I look at that every day and have one in my office.
It reminds me that we’ve had these internal contradictions in Kentucky going back to 1792 when we split off from Virginia and became our own state, and we’ve managed them. We’ve managed our urban-rural divide. That’s a huge issue today. We’ve had that in Kentucky from day one. It’s always been part of our DNA. We managed to make it work. We managed to trust each other, particularly with our elections. That’s the best thing about living in Kentucky.
Schildkraut points also to the changes in American politics and policy stemming from state loyalties. “And with increasing political polarization in Congress, federal gridlock on these issues seems to have enhanced states’ roles as sites of vibrant policymaking,” she writes.
She goes on to defend federalism by saying that while aspects of it carried a divisive past, it can actually unify people by grounding them in shared state identities.
I’ve lived in a lot of states so I’ve noticed the different levels of state pride. It was the Deep South where I first noticed a number of clothing lines explode that express that kind of pride. I love some of the state mottos, particularly Virginia’s “Thus always to tyrants,” and Mississippi’s “By Valor and Arms.” Those that know a little history are well aware that most of our American ancestors thought of themselves as loyal to their respective state before the nation.
I’m a strong proponent in believing that during times of deep national polarization, rediscovering pride in place may be one of the healthiest ways to renew civic trust and bring governance closer to the people.
—Ray Nothstine
— The Federalism Beat